For The Love Of Another
by CEP914
Summary: **Edited 2/27/12** Sequel for To Loathe Thy Love. . . Is Stephanie's heart as strong as her mind and body have now become? Or will it crumble when a past she thought she left behind catches back up with her?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own them. Not making any money.

A/N: Continuation of _To Loathe Thy Love_. Edited and re-uploaded 2/27/12.

Hope you like it! Thanks for reading.  
-Cyn

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**For The Love Of Another**

**Chapter 1: Yesterdays Pain**

It didn't bother me that Big Dog and Carl were grinning wider than the Cheshire cat. It didn't bother me that Morelli looked like a ripe tomato on crack ready to explode. It didn't matter that I needed to go car shopping for the first time in over a year. It didn't even faze me that my stupid, clumsy, ass wipe of a skip was sitting in the back of a cop car cussing me out.

Hell I wasn't even upset that he blamed me for his stupid little bomb going off when clearly it was his fault for building the thing, carrying it on him, tripping over his own untied shoelaces which sent the damn bomb flying out of his hands and under my car as I chased him. I mean it was his dumbass self that kept the detonator clipped to his belt and pressed it when he was trying to get back up. The explosion was just big enough to send my sunshine yellow Jeep a foot in the air just before my gas tank exploded too.

None of that matters though. None of it bothers me.

It does bother me, however, that Ranger and Tank are standing in front of me trying to drag me out of the damn convenience store parking lot without letting me get a Twinkie like I damn well deserve.

"Ranger," my voice was low with just a hint of hysteria bubbling in it. "If you don't give me money in the next twenty seconds I will not be held accountable for shooting your dick off."

Tank flinched slightly but Ranger remained expressionless. "You had your weekly dessert last night. You know the deal," he said smoothly.

I can't be sure but I think flames were coming out of my nose at this point. "First of all I didn't get to finish my dessert before some jackass decided it would be funny to take my cake and run from me. Said jackass then ran into jackass number two and made my cake a fashion accessory on his shirt so last night's dessert doesn't count." Stupid Lester and Cal. Their dicks were coming off next. "Secondly please don't make me hold up poor Mr. Hahn for some damn sugary goodness. You won't be very happy if I get arrested and miss tonight's takedown." I smiled sweetly and held out my hand. "_G__ive me money_."

I would have happily taken them both down and used my own money to buy something but my money was torched like everything else that was in my Jeep.

Ok so maybe I wouldn't have been able to take Tank and Ranger down at once but I was damn good enough to get one on the ground. In the fourteen months since The Incident, as I like to call it, I've progressed better than anyone could hope for. It was the hardest I was ever pushed and for the first couple of months I wanted Ranger to _bleed_ for agreeing to this self-torture. When I told him so in anger one day he simply smiled and told me to man up before throwing my ass across the room again.

That was the first day I got him on the ground. I didn't realize what I did until the guys in the room started whooping and hollering at me. I couldn't take him down again that week but soon enough it happened again. And again. And again. It didn't even matter that I ate a bunch of Rangers mandatory healthy crap anymore. I was stronger. I was more confident. I was proud of myself. It was obvious that Ranger was too without him saying so because whenever it happened, he gave me his 1000 watt smile before getting up and beating my ass in a non-fun way.

I was even more comfortable with guns now. Sure I still hated the things but I could assemble, shoot, and clean them in my sleep. I practiced with every make and model in Rangeman. The guys started bringing more of them in just to keep me entertained.

Blades weren't my thing but Lester still had me in the gym practicing throwing them. Ranger almost called the defensive and offensive part of the training off when I got a couple cuts on my arms. So how did I keep my lessons with Les? I told Ranger to man up. He didn't say anything more about it but Lester went a little easier on me after that.

I was also better with computers and security equipment. Hector took me through everything he knew, even the different types of security monitors Rangeman provided to clients.

Cal and Junior taught me how to spot and lose a tail.

Bobby taught me basic medical care and took me through all the supplies in the company cars. Every car had a medical bag in the back for onsite wounds that didn't require a trip to the hospital.

Hal worked on my B&E skills. I could pick most door locks in under a minute and even get out of a pair of handcuffs with a bobby pin without even looking.

Every trick Ranger pulled out for me, I worked on until I had at least a basic understanding. I was put through Hell to get to where I am now. I ended up crying a lot in anger and frustration whenever I had to work on something new. Although I had it easier than anyone else it was still hard for me to learn everything. Ranger took no pity on me though; he just kept pushing me until I was sure I was one minute away from breaking. It was only then that he would back off and let me rest. Ranger let me cry and bitch all I wanted when we were alone. If I had a nasty bruise from a hit I should have been able to block he calmly told me what I did wrong before applying some magic cream Bobby had that made it heal a little bit faster.

I'm pretty sure there was unicorn hair and dragons blood in that stuff because of how effective it was. I kept that little thought to myself though.

Now bruises and cuts are few and far between. No one even holds back anymore. I give it my all and so does everyone else.

There have been no more pictures, notes, or any contact from my mystery stalker and no other stalker since The Incident. I haven't been tossed in garbage, covered in nastiness, humped by a pack of dogs, or ran until I was out of breath in months. My car wouldn't even have been sent to car heaven if that idiot had just tied his shoes. Damn punk.

Which brings me right back for my need for sugar. Without my whole dessert last night, to be put through all this police crap was too much. I deserve a treat dammit!

I raised my hand higher in front of Ranger. He stood motionless for 19 seconds, hell yeah I was counting, before his lips twitched and he took out his wallet. He handed me two ones.

I raised my eyebrow, something that always amuses the heck out of him since I learned to do it, and kept my hand out. Reluctantly he pulled out a five and slapped it in my hand. Not what I was aiming for but I'd take it.

With a grin I rose on my toes and kissed his cheek. "Thanks Babe," I called as I made my way into the store.

Tank said something to Ranger that I couldn't hear. Whatever Ranger said back made Tank laugh. Just hearing that made me smile wider as I carefully selected the most sugary sweet confections I could find.

Morelli stepped into my peripheral vision as I carried my few selections to the register. His face was still red. He stood just off to the side with his hands on his hips. I could tell he was trying to control himself with some breathing techniques. That kept me smiling.

Turning to him, I ripped open a package of Butterscotch Krimpets, stuffed one in my mouth and held the other out to Morelli as a peace offering.

He stared at it for a moment before taking it out of my hand, only eating half of it in the first bite.

"You've really got to stop worrying about me Joe," I mumbled around a mouthful of heaven.

He rolled his eyes and took another bite. "I've tried. Not an easy thing to do."

A laughed a bit, almost chocking in the process. "Nothing about me is ever easy." That at least got a smile out of him. "How's the bank teller?"

Joe's smiled widened. After The Incident he and the redhead called it quits. Well she cut him off when the Burg started calling her a home wrecker causing her to transfer out of state. A couple months later he started dating Gabriella Holmes, Gabby, who worked at the bank by the police station. They've been together ever since. "She's great. I'm thinking about asking her to move in."

I didn't even have to fake a smile. "Good. I'm glad you're happy." Although it was difficult after The Incident, Morelli and I became friends again. The occasionally flirting is just habit. Neither of us wants to get back together but after so many years, it's like second nature.

"She keeps telling me we need to double date."

I snorted and ripped open a package of Twinkies, and no Joe didn't get the other half this time. Sharing time was over. "I'd need a date before I could go on a double date."

Joe looked skeptical. "You and Manoso still aren't together?"

"Nope," I said licking some cream filling from my thumb. "I think we're both happy keeping us in the friends department for now."

That was completely true. I still loved Ranger. He still loved me. But we're comfortable now. There's no pressure between us. There are some lingering kisses and touches on both our parts but it's like we've come to a silent agreement not to go down that road together yet. I'm not sure what we're waiting for but we're both definitely waiting for _something_.

That earned another roll of the eyes from Joe. "You know if you just fucked each other already you probably wouldn't need 5 packages of sugar to keep you going."

I looked over Joe's shoulder and saw Ranger raise his eyebrow and look at his watch pointedly. Play time was over. With a sigh I dumped all the empty wrappers in the trash and walked to the door. I stopped next to Joe with an evil smirk. "Don't worry about me," I stage whispered. "Treasure Pleasure's had a special sale on vibrators a while ago." I slapped Joe on the back when he stopped breathing for a second. With a laugh I jogged out to Ranger and Tank.

"Bitch!" Joe yelled out to me just as I was about to get in the front seat of Ranger's truck.

I winked and blew him a kiss. Morelli shook his head in disgust but there was a smile on his face that he didn't bother hiding. "We should catch a game sometime," I called before getting in and shutting the door.

Joe nodded and held his phone up telling me to call him to set it up.

Tank climbed into his own Escape and took off just as Ranger got into the driver's seat. He looked at me questioningly. I smiled and shook my head. "You don't want to know." Without another word he started the truck and took off. "Can we stop by Al's? I want to see if he has anything good for me to replace my Jeep." Al always kept a few cars around that he thinks some of the Rangeman guys might like in their personal collections.

There was a slight tug on Rangers lip but he wordlessly took a right turn and headed towards Al's.

When I started training Ranger talked me into becoming a full time Rangeman employee again. I was still able to run skips for Vinnie but with all the perks of extra money and company benefits. Because of that I had a good chunk in savings and didn't have to worry about how to pay for the new car I needed. Or how many pairs of shoes I bought at Macy's.

Al practically dragged me out of the truck and into a bear hug when we pulled up to his shop. "You don't come see me enough," he admonished me, pinching my cheeks just a tad too hard.

I grinned and kissed both of his. "You're just crabby I don't need you as much now."

He turned to Ranger. "It's all your fault." He didn't bother waiting for a response and turned back to me. "What you do you need, Sweetie?"

"My jeep had an explosive end." I ignored his extra bright smile and pushed on, "I was wondering if you had anything to show me before I headed to a dealership."

Al's eyes lit up. "I got just the thing for you, Steph. Got this beauty in last week." He led me behind his shop with Ranger right behind us. "Absolutely perfect for you," he added while I checked it out.

He was right of course. It was beautiful and perfect. The silver 2002 Mitsubishi Spyder was a two door convertible with tinted windows. Sexy and smooth with enough room in the back for skips without taking away from its sleek design. I could definitely see me driving this.

"Fully loaded," Al said like a proud papa. "Already did the basic tune-ups. I can have it dropped off tonight after giving it the Rangeman special." He was referring to a build in tracker, hood and trunk tampering detectors, and a direct link up to Rangeman.

Kinda like Rangeman On-star.

"How much?" Ranger asked.

Al looked from the car back to me. "For the pretty lady I'll make it an even five grand." Even I knew that was a hell of a deal. And if Al has it you know damn well he'll have it purring like a kitten when he hands you the keys.

Ranger turned towards me with his eyebrow raised in question. With a smile I nodded. "I'll take it."

Ranger hooked his arm around me and started leading me back towards the truck. "Charge it to Rangeman."

I stopped walking and glared at him. "I can pay for my own car."

There was a twitch in his eye. I had to stop from smiling. I loved how I noticed all the little things now. "I'll take it out of your cut for tonight's distraction," he said to pacify me.

"Okie dokie," I grinned. Over my shoulder, I said bye to Al and hopped back into the truck.

"You know we never went over who the skip is tonight," I said when Ranger got back on the street.

"You were too busy crying over cake."

With a snort, I punched him in the arm. He didn't flinch but I know I put some weight into to. "I was not _crying_."

He smartly chose to ignore that and focused on tonight. "His name is Francesco Greyer. Thirty-three, mixed race, green-eyes, bald. He's big in the arms and drugs trade here in Jersey. Franc's the boss' right hand man."

Great. "What was he charged with?"

Ranger actually cracked a smile. "Public indecency and destruction of property. He got drunk and peed on a cop car, scratched it up when he tried to get his belt off."

What an idiot. If the bond was high enough for Rangeman to take on then the DA must be desperate to get him on anything.

As we pulled into Rangeman I asked who Franc's boss was. Ranger parked in his empty spot before saying a name I thought I had forgotten a lifetime ago. "Noah Denison."

My heart stopped and I forgot to breathe for a minute as memory after memory assaulted me. I snapped out of it and gripped onto Ranger's arm when he moved to get out of the truck. My fingers were probably leaving marks in his skin but I didn't care. "_Noah Samuel Denison Jr._?"

Ranger stared at me with his blank face firmly in place. "Is there something I should know?" His voice held a demand in its tone. He definitely wasn't happy that I knew his full name.

It was a struggle but I forced myself to smile and let go of his arm. "Nothing to tell really. The name just caught me off guard. I used to know a . . . friend of his in college. We met a few times. Never thought I'd have another run in with him."

"You ok to do this tonight?" Ranger asked, not trusting I was telling the whole story. He taught me well to school my face. I kept my smile just large enough for him to see I was fine.

"Yeah. Actually it'll be a piece of cake." That part wasn't a lie. Noah owed me. He promised me anything I ever wanted, what seemed like forever ago. I never thought I'd actually ever cash that favor in. "Do you know how to contact him?"

"Babe."

I told Ranger what he needed to know about the favor, the 0 risk of injury to anyone on our side, and a quick pickup of Franc. I didn't tell him the whole truth but it wasn't really his business anyways. What happened over 10 years ago . . . well he doesn't need to know everything about my past.

He continued to stare at me when I was done. "Ranger," I said on a sigh, "I'll just go to him and ask for Franc. It really is that simple. Hell I'll even wear a wire and a damn panic button if you want me to but I know it won't be necessary. All I need is 5 minutes with Noah and Franc is ours without an unnecessary distraction." Still he said nothing. "He may be a bad guy but his sense of honor could rival yours." Not even a blink. "Please trust me on this," I said softly, pulling out the big guns.

Ranger blew out a long breath and I knew I had him. "Five minutes Babe. No more. You go wired, carry your gun and blade, and I have to go with you." He sensed my hesitation with him going but said firmly, "Take it or leave it. We do it my way or I pull you out of the job altogether."

With a reluctant nod I agreed. We both got out of the truck and took the elevator to the control room. Ranger went about getting everyone filled in on the new plan.

I walked to my desk and sat down, pretending to check my email.

God it's been over a decade. My heart thudded in my chest, reminding me of past wounds. I never forgot about those years but I pushed them so far back in my head, _and heart_, that I hadn't thought about them in who knows how long.

_I'm doing the right thing_, I had to tell myself. This will be the best thing for Rangeman.

What I was about to do would save time and standoffs with Franc and I'm sure his bag of goons that will no doubt be around him wherever he goes. This is for the best.

Not matter how much it might hurt to remember.

"This is for the best," I whispered. "It has to be."

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A/N: What was Steph keeping from Ranger that happened all those years ago? Will everything with Noah go as easy as Steph thinks it will? Reviews are lovely!

_Chapter Two: Today's Heartache._


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Don't own them. Not making any money.

A/N: Some questions are answered, but even more are raised. It's a little on the short side but I hit every point I wanted to.

Hope you like it! Thanks for reading.  
-Cyn

* * *

**For The Love Of Another  
Chapter 2: Today's Heartache**

With an air of confidence that I definitely wasn't feeling, I walked up to Noah Denison's three story home with Ranger and Tank half a step behind me. The place was exactly as I remember. It was a deep crimson color that I'm sure was retouched over the years. Arched windows added character and elegance. A beautiful wraparound porch spanned the whole building, probably still connecting to a large deck in the back. Stone pillars gave the home a unique look but still managed to fit in perfectly in the five acres of dense trees that surrounded the place.

The woods around the offbeat mansion held many memories of hope, love, and despair.

We walked up the few steps and my eyes settled on an old porch swing for a moment before I swung the lions head doorknocker twice. Only seconds later the door was opened by an older man in perfectly pressed grey pants and a pristine white shirt.

_Marcus Cantrell._ The only father figure for this family.

His new wrinkles didn't take away from how handsome he was when he was younger. His brown hair had receded but the few extra pounds he used to carry were finally gone. Even now as he welcomed us in, Marcus stood proud under my scrutiny. His kind eyes finally caught mine and he smiled before closing the door behind us.

A set of unforgettable white marble stairs leading to the second floor greeted us as we were ushered forward. The foyer was updated and redecorated but still had some of the same original paintings and art pieces. To the left was a closed doorway that would open into a sitting room. To the right of us was an open room filled with half a dozen canvases in different stages of progress. The mural on the walls depicted a forest sunset in the fall. The leaves' falling from the trees where so artfully done it was as if I could walk right in and grab them. The only canvas that was complete was a black and silver vase that sat upon a modern table in front of a sunny window. The vase was filled with one very specific bouquet of flowers.

Biting my tongue, I focused back on the man who let us in. His accent had faded slightly over time. "Mr. Denison is waiting for you in the card room. Please follow me."

He silently led us down a long hallway before stopping in front of a closed door. Marcus knocked sharply twice before opening the door and waving us in.

The room was a decent size. The slate blue walls blended surprisingly well with the cherry furniture. One wall, behind me to the far right, had a large corkboard hanging covered with notes and pictures that I couldn't make out. A window took up most of the left wall. An open storage center to the right was filled with a variety of guns and blades. It was a slight comfort that I recognized every piece in view.

Noah was sitting with three other guys, all dressed in expensive looking suits with their jackets hanging over their chairs, around a large round table in the center of the room. They were playing some form of poker. The sight of a painting of dogs playing cards behind them almost made me smile.

Except for Noah, I didn't recognize any of the men at the table. I pictured him younger and compared it to the man I saw throwing some poker chips into the middle of the table. The angles of his face were sharper now, his brown eyes darker – more calculated, and his lips were set into a hard line now where they once were always curled into a smile. What shocked me most about the man in front of me was his hair. The shaggy black curls I used to admire were gone. His shaved head forced me back to reality.

When the man to his left added more chips, Noah folded his hand and finally glanced up at us. Well at me anyways. He didn't bother looking at Tank and Ranger.

Noah smiled happily and stood. "Stephanie Plum, as I live and breathe." He walked slowly towards me, stopping only a foot from me. Unless he had a gun tucked into the back of his pants, he was unarmed. "I must say you're even more beautiful than any woman has a right to be."

"And you, Noah," I said coolly, "are still a tremendous flirt."

He pulled my right hand from my side and bent his head over it. _No gun_. "Is that not the way all men are?" he asked kissing my knuckles lightly before straightening and releasing my hand.

Ignoring the tension I knew was rapidly rising inside of Ranger and Tank from his closeness; I shoved my hands into the pocket of my jeans and said the first thing that came to mind. "The M16 is a little much, don't you think?"

Noah glanced at the open gun chest with an amused expression. "I agree but according to my associates," he nodded to the three men at the table, "one can never be too careful in the company old friends."

The thought of our mixed past made me more careless that I should have been. "The painting of the orange calla lilies was a pleasant surprise _friend_," I commented without really thinking. He knew the deep meaning of the flowers, probably trying to use them to ruffle me. Unfortunately it was working.

Noah walked back to the table and sat back down but his eyes never left mine. "I assure you, it is pure coincidence Stephanie. You must remember Mother's fondness for painting flowers. Had I known it was in view I would have had it put away before you arrived."

The sincerity in his tone comforted me slightly. My mind was making a bigger deal out of things than it should. "How _is_ your mother," I asked, trying to keep our conversation on the safe side.

Mama Deni, as she asked her friends to call her, was a force to reckon with. She was as kind and loving as she was deceptive and manipulative. If you weren't on her good side, nothing you did would ever be good enough for her. If someone raised money for a charity and somehow managed to disrespect Mama Deni in the process, she'd make it seem like they were the walking anti-Christ to anyone who listened. And _everyone_ always listened to Mama Deni.

For some reason I still can't figure out, she had always been very kind me.

Noah grinned and raised a fist to his chest, right above his heart. "She's still as strong as an ox and as vicious as a lioness even at 64. I'm starting to believe that that woman will outlive us all."

"Knowing her she would do that just to spite you." I paused for a minute before asking, "Is she here?" My heart thudded in my chest unsure of what answer I wanted to hear.

He shook his head. "She left this afternoon for New York before you called. Apparently the only proper way to see a play is to see it in New York. She will be sorry she missed you." I smiled but didn't say anything more. After a moment he realized the small talk now was over. "I have to say I was very surprised to hear from you earlier."

My response was as diplomatic as I got. "I thought this would be better for everyone involved."

"How true." Noah glanced past me finally acknowledging Ranger and Tank. "What have you done with your life to require two bodyguards?"

I laughed lowly and glanced behind me. Both of them were standing straight as an arrow, their faces completely expressionless. Ranger was in the room with me, back against the wall beside the open door. Tank was standing outside of the room, his back flat against the hallway wall, making sure no one snuck up behind us. "They're not bodyguards," I corrected Noah, feeling it pointless since he probably had their social security numbers memorized. "They're both partners in the company I work for." Calling his bluff I added with a flat voice, "I take it you haven't picked up a newspaper in the last few years then?"

He made a dismissive gesture with his hand before collecting the forgotten cards in front of him, shuffling them smoothly. "I've been out of the country a lot. Besides you should remember I tend not to believe those gossip hungry journalists."

"I remember someone once telling me not to believe everything I read. It seems I should have believed the papers more than I did." My voice was innocent enough but the hidden message was heard loud and clear.

Noah's eyes flashed with something close to hate before he sighed and laughed it off. "Still a spitfire I see."

I raised an eyebrow. "Was there ever any doubt?"

He kept shuffling his cards but kept a close eye on my face. "There were many doubts when you married that idiot."

I took a deep breath before saying anything. Noah confirming that he has kept up with me was different than just suspecting it. "Well I wasn't exactly in the best place in my life then. We divorced before the ink on our marriage certificate dried. As you probably already know."

He smirked at me. "I keep my promises unlike some of us."

I blinked hard. That one sentence nearly knocked the breath out of me. _Fucking bastard._ Not taking the bait, I motioned to the three men left forgotten at the table and said, "You know you're being a bad host Noah. It's rude not to introduce me to your new friends."

There was an edge to his next words that I couldn't place as he eyed the men at the table. "I will not purposely introduce you back into this life Stephanie. If you want to know so badly then find out for yourself." He looked back towards me. "This is not the life for you. It never has been." Before I could say anything he called for Marcus to come back in. The man must have been in the hallway because in only a few seconds he was standing in the doorway, waiting for Noah's orders. "Go get Francesco, please."

Marcus nodded and left as quietly as he entered.

"I see your manners aren't _that_ bad." I smiled when Noah glanced at me questioningly. "You said please."

He laughed loudly. The three other guys smiled but still didn't make a sound. Marcus had earned Noah's respect long before I was ever in the picture. Besides his mother, the only person this man said please and thank you to had been Marcus. Good to see that hadn't changed.

Noah stood up suddenly, walked towards me and hugged me tight. The bitterness we created slowly disappeared. "I have missed you," he whispered into my hair where his head rested.

Cautiously I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him back. Just as we pulled apart Marcus re-entered the room with Francesco in toe.

From the corner of my eye I saw Tank and Ranger watch Franc with caution. "I hope our earlier agreement still stands," I said to Noah, trying to mask my sudden wariness.

"Of course, just as you asked Stephanie. Franc is yours to bring in. He will not resist. He will not retaliate. Nor will anyone else in or out of our family because of this." He eyed Franc with some contempt. "Francesco knows he has done wrong and will pay the price."

For his part, Franc kept his head down but nodded tersely.

Tank stepped forward and patted him down as Ranger took out his cuffs and locked Francs hands behind his back. Better to be safe than sorry.

I turned back to Noah to see he hadn't moved away from me. "Thank you."

"As you said before, I owed a great debt to you. One that I still consider unpaid." My eyes widened in surprise before I could catch myself. He chuckled softly. "Don't look so shocked Stephanie. My life is worth more than this small favor. If you should ever need anything else," he pulled a card out of his back pants pocket and handed it to me, "please call me."

I looked over the card. There were four different numbers on it. One was to this house. Two were his personal numbers. And the last was for Marcus's cabin in the surrounding woods as a last resort.

Turning to leave I was taken back when Noah grabbed my hand, forcing me to look at him once more. He raised his right hand and cupped my face softly. The look on his face made my heart ache. I wanted to yell at him not to say anything but I knew it would be pointless. "He had hoped for so much more for you Stephanie. He did not want this life to overlap yours. Please consider getting out while you still can." Noah's voice was as soft as his touch.

Tears swelled in my eyes but I was able to hold them back. Clearing my throat, I told him the only truth that mattered. "I love my life and my work. For the first time in almost eleven years I'm finally happy again."

Noah nodded sadly. "Then all I can say is that I hope nothing changes." He grinned suddenly and kissed my forehead, moving away from me. "Now go before your bodyguards have a stroke."

I gave him a small smile and walked out of the room. Franc remained quiet between Ranger and Tank as they led him towards the front of the house a few feet in front of me. Right before Marcus closed the door to the card room, I ran back and poked my head inside quickly. "Hey Noah." He paused from dealing to look up at me. "Don't take this the wrong way but I really hope I never have to see your face again."

A look I had no idea how to interpret passed over his face. His smile was small and forced. "I wish for the same thing, Stephanie. You have no idea how much."

He made a gesture towards Marcus, who closed the door with a soft click. Turning towards me, Marcus leaned down to kiss both of my cheeks. "Goodbye loca." His eyes held a pain I didn't want to understand.

I kissed his cheeks back and whispered, "Goodbye viejo."

And with that I caught back up with Ranger and Tank who were impatiently waiting for me down by the front door. Their blank faces made me wish that I could just stay here to avoid the questions I knew were coming.

But shouldn't the pain of yesterday be easier than the heartbreak of today?

When we all started heading for the line of Rangeman cars – five of them total, Ranger has serious trust issues – I paused and took one last look at the house that was so familiar to me. Out of the corner of my eye I swore I saw movement in one of the second floor windows but when I looked again, nothing stood out.

It was probably just the light breeze blowing the curtains.

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A/N: Noah seems to know Steph a lot more than from just a few casual meetings like she told Ranger. Neither of them wants to see the other again, but is it for the same reason? Reviews are lovely!

_Loca/Crazy girl  
Viejo/Old man_

_Chapter Three: Faded Memories_


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Don't own them. Not making any money.

A/N:

Hope you like it! Thanks for reading.  
-Cyn

* * *

**For The Love Of Another  
Chapter 3: Faded Memories**

I took the cowards way out and climbed in the back of Hal and Woody's car. They looked at me in surprise but didn't say anything. I could feel Ranger watching me as I closed the door. Miraculously he didn't yank me out and drag me to his car and make me explain everything on the long ride home like I expected him to. He was giving me time to collect myself. It kind of made me hate him a little bit that he understood me so well.

I took my ear piece out and pulled out the mic hidden in my shirt. Adding the panic button Ranger insisted I wear to the other unnecessary equipment, I dumped them into the center car console Woody had opened. He gave me a small smile before turning back and waiting for the go-ahead to move.

We were the first car out. Junior and Cal drove behind us. Ranger, Tank and Franc were in the third car. Manny and Binkie were next with Lester and Bobby bringing up the rear. Personally I thought the ten of us was a bit overkill. It was as if Ranger wasn't comfortable in the home of the biggest arms and drug dealer on the east coast. The situation wasn't funny but I found myself smiling about it anyways.

The ride back home was quiet and uneventful. It was almost nine o'clock when the guys finally pulled into the Rangeman garage. I was out of the car before Hal even shut it off. Tank and Ranger went to drop off Franc at the police station but everyone else parked in the garage then moved to stand behind me where I was admiring my new baby. She definitely stood out in this sea of black cars. My Spyder was perfectly polished just begging to be ridden.

"Nice one," Bobby said before kissing my head and heading upstairs.

Cal popped the hood open, without even asking I might add. The guys poked and prodded at only who knows what before simultaneously nodding their approval.

"Al did good," Lester said and moved to run his hand over the trunk but I slapped his hand hard and glared. "Don't touch her. God only knows who you've touched with those hands today."

Lester gave me a sly grin. "Anytime you want some first _hand_ knowledge, you let me know Beautiful." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

I looked him over slowly. My eyes took in everything from the tip of his black CAT boots, to his tight fitting clothes, right up to the bright green of his eyes. Leaning in closer, I placed a hand delicately on his chest, right over his heart, and moved so that my lips were next to his ear. The tension in the other guys was so palpable I had to bite my tongue not to smile.

I let out a slow breath against his ear that made Lester tense under my hand. Then in a loud shout I said, "Only in your dreams Santos," and quickly backed away laughing.

Lester groaned as the guys started cheering and clapping him on the back. Phrases like "he'll never learn," and "better luck next time," floated around before the guys started making their way up to the control room.

Lester was the last to leave after he kissed my cheek and told me to be safe. Before we came back from Noah's one of the guys in the building must have grabbed my purse off my desk and put it in the front seat of my car. I smiled my thanks at the cameras and waved bye.

Just like I expected, the car drove like a dream. The ride home was smooth. It was easy not to think about what would happen later with the stereo cranked up on a rock station. Besides stuffing my face with my mom's pineapple upside-down cake, denial was my happy place. And I was in a _very_ happy place right now.

The building was quiet when I walked up to my apartment. All the seniors were cozy and snug in their beds already. Rex stopped running on his wheel when I flipped the kitchen light on after dumping my purse on the counter. His whiskers twitched in annoyance but he quickly forgave me when I dropped a baby carrot into his cage.

I grabbed a beer out of the fridge before flopping down on my couch. I didn't bother turning on another light since the kitchen light spread through the living room.

Sitting in the semi-darkness, I sipped at my beer and watched the car lights move across my walls. I counted thirty seven of them before I got up to get another beer. Just as I reached the fridge my apartment door opened so I grabbed a second beer. I handed one to Ranger, who was longing in my wingback chair, before taking a long pull of my bottle and settling back onto the couch.

"Francesco was quiet," Ranger said, twisting the cap off his bottle. "Too quiet."

"He won't try anything," I said confidently. Ranger just raised his eyebrow so I said what I knew was the truth, "Noah would kill him." I watched as his eyes hardened at Noah's name. "He's a good guy Ranger," I said softly. When he laughed I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Ok so he's a drug dealing, gun totting mobster with anger issues. Deep down though Noah really is a good person. He grew up in that life. That's all he knows."

"I dealt drug when I was younger but you don't see me doing that now," Ranger commented.

With a groan I put my bottle on the coffee table before running my hands over my face. "Could we please not do the whole 'my dick is bigger than his' routine?"

Again his eyebrow went up and a small smirk twitches at his lip. "You already know it is."

"No I don't know actually," I said standing up, downing the last few sips and angrily tossing it in the trash.

I stood in the kitchen with my back to him, trying not to do anything stupid like punch him. Instead of asking if Noah and I were together once, he just assumes I've fucked him. _God_. Nothing makes my night more than having my best friend basically call me a whore. Ranger wasn't even here five minutes and I'm ready to kick his ass out.

He got up and walked over to me slowly, probably realizing how on edge I was. He stood in the doorway and stared at me. We stood like that for a few minutes before I finally managed to push back my sudden temper. So maybe whore was a bit of an overreaction on my part but he shouldn't just assume I've slept with someone.

I crossed my arms and stared at the floor. "It wasn't like that between Noah and me." My voice was quiet but the meaning in it was clear. "I would _appreciate_," I said with a hint of frustration, "if you wouldn't assume things that you know nothing about."

"So tell me," was all Ranger said.

And I did. Part of it anyways. The rest would have to wait.

"I was halfway through my second semester in college. It was after midnight on the weekend after midterms and I was walking back to my dorm after a party . . ."

_I shivered against in the cool night air and stuffed my hands into my jeans. My right heel caught in a crack in the sidewalk and I barely managed to right myself before I did a face plant. That was the fourth time that's happened. I groaned and paused to rip my heels off and shove them into my purse. The concrete was freezing against my feet. I wish I had just taken a stupid cab._

_Sure my dorm was only seven blocks away from the frat house I was just at, I was now just two blocks away, but it was getting colder and my bare feet weren't helping to keep me warm._

_Before I could continue walking there was a noise to my right that sobered me right up. I froze, not even breathing, and stared at the opening of an alley a few feet away. There was a grunt and muffled voices. As quietly as I could I reached into my purse and pulled out the stun gun that my dad had given me when I moved on campus._

_I turned it on and cautiously walked against the storefront that led to the alley. Still listening, I could hear more hushed grunts. Then a man spoke barely loud enough for me to hear. "Don't worry about it. He ain't going anywhere. Just go get the car and bring it around before someone see's us. We need to get him out of here."_

_Another man spoke but I couldn't make out what he said. Guy 1 laughed. "He's too messed up to try anything and even if he did I sure as fuck can handle him by myself, ain't that right Denison?" There was a slapping sound and another loud grunt. Guy 1 kept talking, his voice taking on a harder tone. "Go get the fucking car Thomas."_

_There was a moment of silence and I prayed that Thomas would get the car from the other end of the alley. I breathed a small sigh of relief when I heard the sound of feet scurrying away from me._

_I waited a minute before peeking into the alley. There was a dumpster blocking most of my view but I could make out a large white man with an apparent fascination for steroid use – I mean come on! The man was a muscle machine – wearing a freakishly tight blue shirt._

_I pulled my head back quickly when I saw him look at something hidden beside the dumpster. "We're gonna have so much fun Denison. I got big plans for you. Your poor mother won't be able to recognize you when I'm done with you."_

_My heart was hammering away in my chest. I should just turn around and pretend I didn't see or hear anything. That would be the smart thing to do. Then I could call the cops. That would be even smarter._

_I chewed on my bottom lip when there was another long groan._

Shit.

_Chancing another look, I saw Guy 1 with his back to me and his phone up to his ear. Taking a deep breath I turned on my stun gun and gently placed my purse on the ground._

_This is stupid. So very, very stupid Stephanie! I mentally yelled at myself._

_Still I couldn't stop myself from putting one foot in front of the other, slowly creeping up behind muscle man as he talked quietly to whoever was on the phone. I heard him say, "We'll be there in half an hour," before I touched the stun gun to him and pressed the button._

_He jerked twice before his body collapsed to the ground. I winced when his head smacked pretty hard on the ground._

_A sudden sound to my right had me spinning around fast. Without thinking I threw the stun gun towards the noise._

_"Aw, fuck," a guy groaned. My eyes widened when I got a good look at him. The man was a couple years older than man. He had a natural tan that any girl would kill for. His black hair hung in soft curls just barely reaching the tops of his ears. His eyes were a deep chocolate, almost black looking color._

_If he hadn't just gotten beaten up I was sure I would have jumped all over him. As it was the poor guy was sitting on the ground in a bloody white shirt and jeans looking like an angry little puppy. His bottom lip was busted and the beginnings of a black eye were already showing. God only knew what other injuries his shirt and jeans were covering._

_"You got one hell of a throwing arm, Princess," he said rubbing his forehead softly. The guy moved slowly and picked up the stun gun beside him, paused to take a deep breath, then was suddenly standing on his feet. He started tilting to the left so I rushed forward and steadied him._

_"Take it easy," I said softly, wrapping his left arm around my shoulder. He was a foot taller than me but we made it work. "Come on, we have to get you out of here before that other guy comes back. I don't think he'll be very happy to find muscle man unconscious."_

_The man laughed but it quickly turned into a grimace as we began walking out of the alley. I grabbed my purse, still supporting him, and then we got the hell out of there. Our pace was slower than I liked but it was as fast as he could go so I didn't want to push him._

_I peeked up at him through my eyelashes. His face was clearly showing the pain each step was causing him. I was struggling between wanting to clean him up and just dumping his ass at some house before calling the police._

_Guessing at my thoughts, he man spoke softly. "If you could just take me somewhere and get me a phone I could be out of your pretty hair in twenty minutes." He still sensed my hesitation so he added, "I'll even pay you for your time and help. I've got three hundred in my pocket right now with your name on it Princess."_

_Damn. . . three hundred would make a serious dent in my credit card bills. When I realized he was trying to pay me off I scowled at myself for almost falling for it. "I don't want your money."_

_I could feel him watching me. "Four hundred then."_

_Rolling my eyes I kept walking forward. "I don't want your money," I repeated a little louder._

_"Five hundred? Seven fifty? A thousand?"_

_"I don't want your damn money," I yelled and threw his arm off my shoulder. I watched as he wobbled for a moment but I made myself stay put. He glared at me when he straightened himself and I sure as hell glared right back. "I don't know who you are but if you want my help then shut up and stop offering me money like you're paying for some hooker."_

_His glare quickly turned into a frown. He watched me with a gaze much steadier than his feet. After a moment he grinned wide. "I like you. You're a spitfire, Princess."_

_I rolled my eyes, wrapping his arm back around my shoulder and started walking the last block to my dorm. "Stop calling me Princess. It makes you sound like a pervert."_

_"What makes you think I'm _not_ a pervert?"_

_Surprisingly that question didn't freak me out like it should have. It did make me roll my eyes again though. "I will drop your ass right here if you don't shut up."_

_He stayed quiet for a few precious seconds. "So where are we going?"_

_"My dorm. You can get cleaned up and call the police from there."_

_His response to that was pretty much what I thought it would be. "Now Princess, we don't have to go bothering the cops. The guys who did this won't bother me again so there's really no point in getting our overworked and underpaid men in uniform involved in this little scuffle."_

_Instead of commenting I just kept walking. I knew exactly what he meant when he said those guys wouldn't be bothering him anymore. Less than a minute later I keyed my way into my dorm building. The halls were quiet. Everyone was still out partying. The five story building didn't have an elevator so it was a good thing I was in a first floor room._

'In NY for weekend w/bf. See you Monday.' _Laura, my roommate, had written on the small message board on our door._

_Good, I thought. One less thing to have to be concerned about. Now I didn't have to worry about her asking question I didn't know the answers to. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to know the answers._

_I settled the guy in my desk chair. The room was big enough to hold two beds, two desk, and two dressers and not much else. There was a small bathroom off to the left. Apparently the school doesn't trust freshman not to burn the building down so there was no kitchen._

_I tossed my phone to my unexpected guest then grabbed a towel, a washcloth, and Laura's first aid kit before walking into the bathroom and started filling the tub with warm water since the sink didn't have a water stopper. I turned the water off after it filled a few inches and tossed the washcloth into the tub._

_Just as I was about to walk back out my mystery man walked in and sat down on the closed toilet seat. "My brother will be here in about fifteen minutes. He said to thank you profusely and apologize for troubling you, honeybunch." He grinned at the face I made. "I'm testing out names since you seem to be against Princess."_

_I was going to leave him to take care of himself but when he yanked his shirt over his head I gasped and settled on my knees beside him. The whole right side of his ribs was purple and swollen. My fingers ghosted over his tender chest. I was hurting just looking at him._

_He sucked in a ragged breath when I pressed a little too hard but tried to cover it by grinning widely. "If I knew getting beat up would get such a beautiful woman to touch me I'd have don't it sooner."_

_With a very ladylike snort I reached into the tub and pulled out the washcloth, ringing out the excess water. "Your bother better hurry up so I can get you out of here already." Tentatively I reached out and ran the wash cloth over his chest, trying to get the blood off of him but still trying to avoid the worst of his wounds._

_"Aw you know you'll miss me, darling," he said and opened up the first aid kit, starting to work on the scratches on his arms._

_"Oh yeah, because I miss all the thugs that I save from other thugs in dirty alleyways."_

_He stopped moving but I rinsed out the washcloth before continuing to work on his chest. "A thug huh?"_

_"Well it's just a guess but I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be trying to buy me off with a thousand dollars and asking me not to call the cops if you were just some random mugging victim." I chanced a look at his face and was surprised to see that he was smirking._

_"Christ. You know if you said all this shit to anyone else they probably wouldn't be as nice about it as I am."_

_"Well then I guess it's a good thing I'm saying it to you."_

_With his chest clean – just extremely swollen and bruised, maybe even a cracked rib or two – I rung out the washcloth again and stood up to working on his face._

_He was quiet for a couple minutes as I worked. Then he asked, "Why are you helping me? I mean I'm extremely grateful but you're going above and beyond the duty of a concerned citizen."_

_"I don't know," I answered quietly. "I'm a good judge of character and so far, no matter how irritating and pompous you might be, you're not setting off any warning bells."_

_He continued to watch me work, considering what I said before speaking again. "I'm not a thug but I'm no saint either. The family business isn't what I would have picked out for myself but it's what I know and what I'm good at."_

_I hesitated but asked anyways. "Are you a drug dealer?"_

_"I do supply drugs, and other things, to people but I'm too high up on the food chain to be considered a dealer."_

_I placed a butterfly band aid on a cut above his right brow before draining the tub and rinsing my hands. "How high up exactly?"_

_He gave me a wide grin. "The highest, sweetheart."_

_I looked him over for a minute before leaving the bathroom. He followed me out and watched as I began rummaging around in my roommates neatly folded laundry for a t-shirt her boyfriend always keeps here just in case. Finding it, I tossed it to him and he, thankfully, pulled it on without comment. "What are you, twenty-two? Twenty-three? Aren't you kind of young to be the boss?" I grabbed a bottle of Aleve from my purse and a water from my mini fridge, handing both of them to him._

_"Actually," he said taking a seat at my desk chair after dutifully swallowing two pills, "I'm twenty-five. And my father made sure I earned my spot. When he died a few years ago there wasn't much of a struggle for power. Most people just accepted me."_

_"Most?" I asked._

_He gave me a humorless smile. "Most," he repeated. When I sat down on my bed but didn't say anything else he rolled his chair over and stared at me as if I was a puzzle he couldn't solve. "You know you're kind of worrying me with how calm you are right now."_

_I laughed and shook my head. "Oh trust me I'm sure as soon as you're gone I'll start freaking out."_

_He relaxed into the chair and nodded. "Good." We sat in a comfortable silence before he suddenly tilted his head to the side. "I have no idea what your name is."_

_The wonderment in his voice made me smile. "Then we're even cause I have no idea what your name is either."_

_"I'd stand and bow but that shit will hurt too much so I'll just settle for taking your hand." No sooner had he finished speaking his hands were holding tight to mine. He lowered his head but his eyes stayed with mine. "My name is Noah Samuel Denison Jr. and I am forever grateful to you Princess. I am now in your debt. Ask me for anything and it is yours." With that said he softly kissed both of my hands before leaning back with a huge grin. "How was that?"_

_"Corny," I said with a smile that could match his. "So unbelievably corny." I pulled my hands out of his when my phone rang._

_He looked at the caller id before answering it. "Hello Eli." He listened for a minute then grinned. "Yes of course brother. My fearless Princess has taken very good care of me." Noah winked at me and I rolled my eyes. "Fine," he said and ended the call before slowly standing up. "Time to say goodbye Princess."_

_"Oh no," I said dramatically, holding my hand over my heart, "however will I go on now."_

_He scowled playfully. "Smartass."_

_I hopped off my bed and walked him the eight feet to my door. "Try to avoid alleys from now on, please."_

_"Why am I putting up with you and your insults?" I swatted his hand away when Noah flicked my nose._

_"Cause you owe me now," I said opening my door for him._

_"Very true." He smiled, but this time it wasn't his fake playboy smile he'd been showing me for the past half hour. It was 100 percent genuine. It made him go from hot to beautiful in 1.5 seconds flat. Damn him. "I'll catch you later. . ." he looked at me expectantly._

_"Stephanie," I said holding out my hand for him to shake. "Stephanie Plum."_

_He grinned. "Princess Stephanie. I like it." And with a quick wink and a soft hand squeeze he was gone._

"I found him waiting for me outside of my first class on Monday. We got some coffee together and became close friends. He was like the annoying older brother that I never had."

Ranger sat across from me as I finished my story with a blank expression on his face. His voice was just as blank. "You became friends with a mobster when you were 18 after you saved his life while you were drunk."

"Something like that," I agreed with a frown.

Ranger grinned unexpectedly and shook his head. "Only you Babe."

* * *

A/N: So what do you think? Was their meeting what you expected? Or completely off the map? Reviews are very much appreciated!

_Chapter Four: Dance of a Lifetime_


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Don't own them. Not making any money.

A/N: I've gotten a couple of confused messages about the "friend" Stephanie mentioned in the first chapter. There is no friend (or cousin for my old readers). It was all a lie she made up in an attempt to keep Ranger from learning the whole story. But she couldn't keep it up when Noah made all those cryptic remarks to Stephanie in Ch. 2 so she finally told Ranger the truth. Well part of the truth anyways. There are still many things she's left out that will be revealed in time. I apologize to everyone that didn't understand and I hope this helps.

I probably should have mentioned this last time but I forgot. The next few chapters will all be memories of Steph and her past with Noah's family. Plot wise there will be little progression but a lot of questions will be answered.

Hope you like it! Thanks for reading.  
-Cyn

* * *

**For The Love Of Another  
Chapter 4: Dance of a Lifetime**

It was just before lunch the next day when my desk phone rang. It was the front desk in the lobby.

"Bob's Meat Market," I answered with a grin. "You slab 'em, we stab 'em." It was a long running joke between me and the guys. It had something to do with me, Bobby, and a well-aimed fork.

"Hey Steph," Hal said nervously. "There's a guy here with a package for you. He says he works for Mrs. Denison." _Mama Deni_. "He won't leave until he personally hands it to you."

God only knows what she'd send me now. Whatever it was I was certain I wasn't going to like it. _Dammit_. She must know how hard yesterday was for me but of course Mama Deni does what she wants. There was a chance, however small, that it was just some silly t-shirt or something from her stay in New York but I'd bet my life it wasn't going to leave me warm and tingly inside.

It wasn't until Hal said my name again that I realized I hadn't said anything yet. "I'll be right down," I said and disconnected.

Taking a second to breathe deep and reign in my unease, I printed the last pages of my search out and tossed it in a folder in my outbox before grabbing my keys and heading down to the lobby.

I walked out of the elevator to see Hal standing behind the desk just staring at the man I presumed was a new personal assistant to Mama Deni's. Hal was watching the man like a hawk. I resisted rolling my eyes. The man was small enough to pick up and stuff into my pocket but Hal was trained not to underestimate anyone.

The guy was in his twenties and looked exactly as I expected him to. His blonde hair was straight and hung to the crisp collar of his button down shirt. A shirt that was perfectly pressed and tucked into a pair of black slacks. His light green eyes were playful and firm at the same time. Anyone who worked with that woman had to have a sense of humor but also knew when to buckle down and get to work. His smile was warm, showing me a set of pearly whites. Oh yeah, he was a pretty boy through and through.

Mama Deni always said one's help was an extension of oneself so she only expected the best out of them.

"Good afternoon," he said walking over to shake my hand. "You must be Miss Plum. My name is Kyle Luboff. I'm Mrs. Denison's assistant."

"I hear you have something for me," I said getting straight to the point.

He didn't take any offense to my abruptness. If I didn't know any better I'd say his eyes sparkled in amusement. He turned and walked over to the desk and picked up a white velvet bag that was leaning against its side. The slim bag was over a foot wide and twice as high. Immediately I knew there was a painting inside it. The question of which one had my heart racing.

"Mrs. Denison asked that I deliver this to you." Kyle held it out to me by its drawstrings. Reluctantly I took it from him. He then handed me a small sealed envelope from his back pocket. "In here is her personal phone number. Mrs. Denison also asked that I extend an invitation for you to call her if you find some free time in your busy life." He gave me his good ole boy smile again. "Her exact words were much more demanding as I'm sure you could guess."

With a small smile of my own I nodded my head. "I'd be surprised if they weren't."

"Well I've got a laundry list of things to do today so I'll leave you to enjoy your gift. Have a good day Miss Plum." He sent a nod towards Hal, who was still twitching in apprehension, and then he was out of the door in a flash.

I sighed softly, sent a nod of my own to Hal who was already picking up the phone to tattle on me, and took the elevator to the 7th floor. I propped the bag up on the kitchen bar so it leaned against the connecting wall. The envelope was dropped in front of it before I searched for something to eat.

Biting back a groan when I opened the fridge, I grabbed a bland turkey sandwich on wheat bread. Now would be a perfect time to relax and enjoy a meatball sub with a couple shots of Tequila but of course was that too much to ask for. The time I would spend in the gym would so not be worth it right now. I took a big bite of the sandwich and stared at the white velvet 'gift'.

I was so tempted just to chuck the thing in a dumpster but if Mama Deni found out, and she would, she'd have my head on a plate. Then she'd tell me how disappointed she was which would be so much worse.

Being a disappointment wasn't a new thing for me. My own mother had no problem letting me know how I never lived up to her standards. I didn't cook. I wasn't married. I had no kids. I didn't work at the button factory. I didn't have normal friends. It was a never ending list of shortfalls that she saw in me.

Mama Deni only saw the good in me. She liked my spirit, how I handled things straight on even if that sometimes backfired on me. There was only ever one time that she was really disappointed in me. I deserved that disappointment. I earned it, but it still cut straight to my heart when she looked at me with those sad eyes.

I was brought out of my musing when Ranger walked into the kitchen. I hadn't even heard him enter the apartment. He glanced at the bag but said nothing. He did grab my nearly untouched sandwich before taking a seat on the barstool next to me.

I grabbed two waters out of the fridge and put one in front of him. We both sat in silence while he ate, just looking at that damn bag.

He finished his lunch before he turned to watch me. "What's in the bag?"

"A painting." Point for me since my voice didn't shake.

His eyebrow went up. "Of?"

"No idea."

He glanced at the envelope in front of it. "What's on the card?"

"It's supposed to be Mama Deni's number."

Ranger's lips twitched. "Mama Deni?"

I sighed and shrugged my shoulders. "She thought the sun shined out of my ass back then."

He watched me for another second then, before I could stop him, he grabbed the envelope and tore it open. My mouth dropped open as he calmly pulled out a small card and looked it over. "Just the number," he said and tossed the card on the table.

When he reached for the bag I snapped out of my shock and moved to stop him but I was too slow. He pulled open the drawstrings, making the velvet pool on the bar.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw the very familiar uncovered painting. I thought seeing the calla lilies' painting was bad . . . but this . . . this was . . .

"Babe," Ranger drawled out the name. His husky tone sent a shiver down my back. He was staring at the painting in admiration. "Is it real?"

"Yes," I said quietly.

The image on the canvas was almost an exact replica of a picture Mama Deni had taken the night I had met her. I was standing in a ballroom by myself smiling at something off to the side. My soft curls were piled high on my head with only a few strands hanging down to frame my face. There was a small silver Venetian mask, only big enough to cover my eyebrows and the tops of my cheeks, tied around my head.

I also just happened to be wearing the most beautiful dress I'd ever seen. It was white with sapphire blue detailing. The corset top molded my body perfectly and gave more than just a hint of cleavage with its sweetheart neckline. The dress flared out at the waist before gathering in the back into a small train with diamond cutouts.

That was the night I stopped living in a dream world.

_"So remind me where you're taking me?" I was sitting in the passenger's seat of Noah's red Porsche trying my best not to strangle him as we drove to the middle of nowhere._

_"Reminding you implies that I've already told you, which I haven't." Without having to look I knew he was smirking._

_To piss him off I played with the stereo dials, trying to find another station. He pulled my hand away and told me to behave. "I'd behave if you told me where the hell we're going. You should have taped my mouth shut when you kidnapped me if you didn't want me to ask questions," I huffed and crossed my arms._

_Noah sent me a different kind of grin. "You're giving me idea's Princess."_

_I rolled my eyes and sighed. We'd been driving for almost an hour and I was getting crazy with boredom and curiosity. "Can't you give me a hint at least?"_

_He thought for a minute then nodded. "We're going to a party."_

_I frowned and looked down at my clothes. Noah had showed up at my dorm at ten o'clock and literally dragged me out of bed – no judging! It was a Saturday! – So I was only wearing a pair of grey sweats and an old Oscar the Grouch t-shirt. I didn't even want to think about what my hair looked like._

_"You've got to be kidding me," I shouted after a minute of silence._

_Noah just grinned and patted my leg. "Don't worry the party isn't until six. You're in for a full afternoon of pampering to get you ready. I already have a dress picked out for you and everything."_

_"You're taking me to a spa?" I asked eyeing him in disbelief._

_"Nope," his grinned widened. "No spa can compete with my mother's relaxation suite."_

_My eyes almost popped out of my head. "Am I meeting your mother today?"_

_His lips tightened into a straight line but I could still see the amusement in his eyes. "I'm going to shut up now."_

_Oh my God._

_"Let me get this straight," my voice was eerily calm now. "You're taking me to your house?" He nodded. "Where your mother has a relaxation suite?" Another nod. "And your mother is going to be there?" Nod. "And together we're going to get ready together for a party tonight?" Nod._

_I just stared at Noah until he glanced at me. "What?" He went overboard on the innocent tone._

_"I am going to kick your ass when you park."_

_He just grinned and kept on driving._

_Half an hour later I was staring up at the most stunning house I'd ever seen. And when I say house read super mansion. The thing was three stories and was bigger than my whole college campus! Its deep red color blended beautifully with the bright red, yellow, and orange leaves of the surrounding trees._

_Noah chuckled and gently closed my mouth before getting out of the car. A man I didn't even notice before now opened my door and helped me out. Then he ran to the other side of the car, got in, and drove it out of sight._

_Noah slung his arm over my shoulders and led me up the front steps. There was a large porch swing to our left that looked out to the trees. I was so going to camp out on that. I had just enough time to see a brass lions head doorknocker before Noah opened the door and ushered me inside._

_If I thought the outside was amazing the winding marble staircase in front of me took my breath away._

_I leaned closer to Noah and said, "I don't feel bad about you always paying for my coffee anymore."_

_He just squeezed my shoulders and laughed loudly. A man suddenly appeared at the top of the steps and walked down towards us. He wore a lint free black suit with a silver and gold striped tie. He was around my dad's age but if it wasn't for laugh lines and a slightly creased forehead, I'd have never guessed. I hope I aged as gracefully as he has._

_He gave me a small smile before taking my right hand in both of his. "I'm sure your own graceful beautiful will follow you throughout your life." His Mexican accent was thick and smooth like honey._

_A deep blush spread across my cheeks. "I said that out loud?"_

_Noah took pity on me and introduced the man. "This is Marcus Cantrell. He basically runs this place. If you ever need anything, call him and he'll get it." He smirked at me before continuing. "Marcus this is the Princess who rescued me last time, Stephanie Plum."_

_Marcus squeezed my hands lightly before letting them go. "I owe you many thanks Miss Plum. I wouldn't have any one to torture if something had happened to Noah."_

_"Please call me Steph, and I know exactly what you mean. He's a pain in the ass but he grows on you pretty fast."_

_" Just like a weed," Marcus added._

_We both shared a laugh when Noah scowled at us. There was a great deal of respect shining in his eyes though. "Is my mother back yet?" Noah asked._

_Marcus nodded. "She is waiting quite impatiently for you in her suite."_

_"When isn't she being impatient," Noah muttered but nodded his head at the man before pushing me towards the stairs._

_"It was nice meeting you," I called out to Marcus. He smiled before disappearing to a room off to the side. "He was nice," I said turning back to Noah._

_He grinned. "Marcus is great. I don't think this place would be standing if it wasn't for him. He was like a second father to us growing up."_

_"Us?"_

_"Me and my brother Eli. He's out right now but you'll be meeting him later at the party."_

_We reached the top of the steps and walked down the left side hallway. "What kind of party is it anyways?"_

_"My mother's Annual Charity Fall Bash. She sets up the most elaborate themes and always raises at least a million each year for the local charities. This year the theme is a masquerade ball."_

_"That's amazing."_

_Noah smirked and stopped in front of a set of double doors. "It's just an excuse for her to dress up." He knocked on the door and without waiting for a reply, pushed them wide open._

_We stood in the middle of a fairly large sitting room. The whole room was done in calming pastel colors. There were two long pale yellow settees resting adjacent to each other with an ivory coffee table between them. Another set of double doors opened into a similarly decorated bedroom. The light green walls were decorated with dozens of different sized paintings, all clearly done by the same artist. There were a lot of flowers and trees but also sunsets and sparkling waterfalls._

_My eyes focused on one to the right, just above the fireplace mantel. It was of this house in the winter. The trees and ground were dusted with snow, emphasizing the rich color of the mansion. It was as if someone has taken a picture and glued it to a canvas._

_"These are so wonderful," I said breathlessly. I wasn't a big art person but these paintings were so beautiful even a blind man could appreciate them._

_"Why thank you," a warm feminine voice replied behind me. "I've been painting ever since I can remember."_

_I spun around and came face to face with a stunning woman. Her hair was completely grey and pulled into a loose bun. Instead of making her look old, it just made her sophistication that much more obvious. She had Noah's face, only softer around the edges. Her eyes were a light blue. She carried herself well, standing straight but still managed to pull off a carefree look standing in a pair of tan slacks and a pink blouse._

_She had a friendly smile on her face but her eyes studied me critically. The smile changed quickly into a look of disgust before she turned her laser like eyes on Noah. He stood there with his hands stuffed into his pocket grinning like a fool. She reached over and smacked the back of his head hard before turning her back to him, missing the glare he sent her._

_"I apologize that my brute of a son clearly dragged you out here without proper notification." She reached out and tucked a wayward stand of hair behind my ear with a sigh. "You are going to look magnificent in your dress tonight. Noah was right when he said it would match your eyes perfectly."_

_I could feel myself blushing and looked down._

_Noah reached out and pulled me away from her. "Mother, please stop fawning over Stephanie. You're embarrassing her."_

_She made a dismissive gesture with her hand. "I am simply letting her know how beautiful she is. Is that such a crime? Surely there are men lining up to get the chance to tell her the same. She's going to have such beautiful babies in the future."_

_And here I thought I couldn't blush any harder._

_Once again Noah took pity on me and sighed. "Mother, tone it down please. I don't think Steph is even considering children for the next decade or two." He sent her a pointed stare. "And I won't be having kids with her either so get that thought out of your mind."_

_"Oh God," I whispered and hid my face in my hands._

_This is too much. Way too much._

_"Yes, yes. I know," she said clearly trying to appease her son. "You two are merely friends, which I think is wonderful for Stephanie since she clearly can do so much better than you. But can you blame me for having these wonderful dreams?"_

_"Yes," Noah said simply._

_"Fine," she sighed loudly. "There is still a chance my darling Elijah can win her over."_

_"Mother," Noah groaned._

_"Alright, alright. No more talk of any future possibilities, I swear. I'll focus on getting us ready for tonight. Is that acceptable my dearest son?" She asked, clearly being sarcastic. "Now say goodbye to her so I can get to know the woman who's kept the attention of my eldest son for such a long time without having to unrobe to do so."_

_Jesus._

_I heard her walk away from us. Noah pulled my hands from my face and turned me to face him. My cheeks were still burning. "Don't worry you're going to have fun. She's a little crazy but she's got the heart of a teddy bear." He grinned and kissed my cheek. "Just like you." He turned me away from him and slapped my ass lightly, grinning when I glared at him. "Now go on. I'll see you later."_

_He gave me a small push when I didn't move. With nervous steps I slowly moved into the bedroom. Mrs. Denison was standing to my right by another yellow settee. A man and a woman were sitting on it. They were both dressed in navy shorts and black shirts._

_"This is my longtime friend David and his very talented associate Juliana. David owns a very successful spa retreat in town. They'll be helping us get ready for tonight. We've got waxes, massages, facials, plus manicures and pedicures to go through. Not to mention my other dear friends Rachel and Sara will be coming around later to do our hair and make-up." Then her shoulders fell slightly as her eyes widened. "Oh, Stephanie! I've just realized we haven't been properly introduced," she said giving me a wide smile and held out her hand to me. "I am Lillian Ann Denison. Noah hasn't stopped talking about you since that awful day so it's a great pleasure to finally meet you."_

_I smiled and shook her hand lightly. "The pleasure is all mine," I said feeling proud my mother's instilled politeness finally had a purpose._

_"I have a feeling you and I are going to get along so well, Stephanie."_

_"I hope so Mrs. Denison."_

_She waved a finger at me and made a tsking sound. "Now there will be none of that Mrs. Denison nonsense from you. You'll call me Mama Deni like all my other friends." She smiled brightly. "Now we've got lots to do and not a lot of time to do it. Why don't you hop into the shower dear and I'll get a nice brunch ready for all of us before we get even more beautified for the masquerade ball."_

_And with that she shooed me into the bathroom. With a sigh I leaned against the closed door and shut my eyes. I had a feeling this was going to be a day I was never going to forget. A sense of unease was rapidly pooling inside of me._

_Mama Deni seemed to like me enough. Noah would be there. I would finally get to meet his brother. It was just going to be another fun party. Food, talk, and drinks. I could do that. There was nothing to possibly be worried about._

_Right?_

* * *

A/N: A link to Stephanie's dress is posted on my profile.

What did you think of the intense Mama Deni? Or her interactions with her son? And what could possibly happen at a Charity Ball thrown by a mob Queen?

Chapter 5: Dance of a Lifetime Part II


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Don't own them. Not making any money.

A/N: Since this whole chapter is a memory I didn't bother putting it in italics.

Hope you like it! Thanks for reading.  
-Cyn

* * *

**For The Love Of Another  
Chapter 5: Dance of a Lifetime Part II**

The afternoon I spent with Mama Deni was interesting to say the least. She never censored her words around me which I found funny and awkward, all depending on what she was chatting about. We talked about everything from my dreams – which were still unclear, my friends and family, her passion for art, and even some stories about her sons and her now late husband. She found it ironic that it was his appetite for cheeseburgers that did him in a couple years ago, not his profession.

We came to an unspoken agreement not to talk about 'the family business' but I still couldn't help wonder if that was _really_ what they did. I mean everyone was just so damn nice to me. Sure they lived in a huge place in the middle of the woods that's selling value could buy a few islands, but maybe they were just .com millionaires?

It was a nice thought but deep down I knew what Noah told me was the truth. No one could make that up. It was just hard to accept that maybe mobsters weren't like the movies projected them at all. Sure Mama Deni was crazy as hell but she gives everything she has to help others, the party tonight was just the perfect example. And Noah? Well sure he's the biggest manwhore in the world but he makes me laugh so hard that I cry. He just doesn't act or even look like a mob boss should. He's quickly becoming the best friend I've ever had though.

Which seems crazy since it's barely been a month since we've met but we've seen each other practically every day. He stops by between classes to bring me a coffee or something to snack on. On nights and weekends we grab some food, explore the town, or just hang out and watch corny movies. Sometimes we even go to parties together. I can even remember two times where he didn't even leave me to get laid by the 20 girls hanging all over him. That right there proved his friendship to me. He's even helped me study for my classes. Ok that only happened once for like five minutes before he got bored and started stabbing me with a pencil until I was forced to go out with him.

Me and Noah just click. We act like a couple of old ladies, annoying the hell out of each other but still managing to make the other laugh a second later.

And yeah he might have kissed me a couple times in that first week but there was just nothing there. Seriously. It was like kissing a wall. Which definitely shocked the hell out of him more than me. I still snort back a laugh every time I picture his face after the first time he leaned down to kissed me. It was when he walked me back to my dorm after grabbing a bite to eat late at night. Noah leaned down and had his lips pressed against mine before I could blink. I stood there in shock as he moved his mouth over mine lightly. When he finally pulled back his eyes were wide and his mouth had dropped open at the blandness of it all.

He then kindly told me that obviously I was broken since I didn't respond to his 'smoking piece of manflesh touch and kisses' like a normal woman does. We fought about it but just ending up laughing at the whole thing later on. Still he 'needed' to kiss me a few more times to make sure that I was really 'broken.' Which apparently I was. But then again so was he since he didn't respond to me either.

"Are you sure you two are only friends, dear? You can tell me. I won't say a word to Noah," Mama Deni smiled at me sweetly.

We were in dressing robes on different couches in the sitting room. It was still thirty minutes before the party officially started but we could already hear people arriving. I was getting my hair styled by a woman while Mama Deni's makeup was applied by someone else.

It was hard not to smile at how excited she was with the idea of me and Noah getting together. "We agreed that staying as friends was the best choice."

She let out a long sigh but managed not to move a single muscle in the process. "Since you helped him that awful day, I was hoping you could help with his whorish ways too. You're the first lady he's brought here and I was hoping it would be as more than just friends dear."

I laughed and told her all about the kisses. "Every time we did it was just so . . . awkward. Sorry Mama Deni but being friends just feels right for us."

She sighed again. "Alright not even I can fight fate. I suppose I can live with the fact you gave it a chance at least. You can't help who you do or do not have a special connection with. Even I know that." There was a gleam in her eyes as she looked at me. "Just don't tell Noah. It's so fun to tease him."

"Your secret is safe with me," I said with a huge smile.

As nervous as I was about spending the day with her, I actually had a lot of fun. We hit it off pretty fast when I stopped worrying and just went with the flow. Maybe it was because she reminded me so much of Noah. They had the exact same personality.

"You and Noah really are a lot alike."

Mama Deni smiled softly. "According to my mother he was just like me when he was a child. It was hell raising that boy. So adventurous and absolutely fearless. If there was trouble to be found, by God Noah was right there with the sweetest smile on his face the whole time. Eli was always the more reserved child. Even now he holds himself back as Noah charges forward. They complement each other very well in our world."

When she paused, I was afraid I was pushing too much but I still I couldn't help but ask softly, "What do you mean?"

"Well," there was a slight hesitation in her next words, "Noah is more of a . . . people person and Eli is more interested in the financial matters. If Noah is troubled only Eli's rational outlook can calm him and make him think before he acts out unwisely."

"I can't see Noah not thinking a situation through all the way."

Mama Deni's eyes now had an edge to them as she stared at me. "Do not make the mistake thinking that Noah is an angel because he acts so sweet to you. He may have my personality but his temper comes straight from his father. He has great control over it most of the time but have no doubt that my son is ruthless when he has to be. Getting on Noah's bad side is a foolish thing to do, ask anyone who has been there. It is not a pretty thing. You do not want to see his temper flare Stephanie." As suddenly as her eyes hardened, they once again became bright and sunny. "Now enough talk of that. It's time to get into our gowns and make our grand entrances."

All I could do was nod briefly as my makeup was retouched. How could I think of Noah as ruthless? It just didn't seem possible. The night I met him he was so calm afterwards. Wouldn't his temper have come out then? The way that Mama Deni can easily go from hot to cold so fast makes me wonder if Noah is the same as her in that way too. If he is, just like Mama Deni said I definitely never want to see it.

I couldn't think about it anymore because there was a sudden tap on the door. Marcus stepped into the room a moment later with two large garment bags.

He smiled politely at me before addressing Mama Deni. "Your sons are waiting outside ready to escort you into the ballroom. Everything is going smoothly at all the doors and almost half of the guests have already arrived. Everyone is talking about how you've outdone yourself this year Madam."

Mama Deni smiled brightly. "That is wonderful news Marcus, thank you. Now if you would just tell Noah and Elijah that we'll be out shortly that would be perfect."

He nodded and handed a bag each to Rachel and Sara, the hairstylist and makeup artist still fussing with Mama Deni and myself, before he slipped back out of the room. Mama Deni took Sara into the bedroom to change leaving Rachel to help me in the sitting room.

She carefully laid the bag out over one of the settees before slowly pulling down the zipper. She grinned wide when I gasped as the dress was uncovered.

"Wow." Saying the dress was amazing would be an understatement.

Rachel patiently waited for my eyes to pop back into my head before pulling the dress out and helping me slip into it. It was kind of embarrassing to be standing in just a pair of panties while she tugged the dress into place, ribbons were used to lace up the open back so a bra was definitely out, but she stood behind me the entire time. I was so glad she never saw my blush.

It took five minutes of tugging and pulling for her to get the ribbon in the last hole and tie it into a pretty bow that rested right above my rump. Sure it was going to be difficult to breathe the whole night since she basically squashed my ribs together but when I was slipped my feet into a pair of low sparkly heels and was finally allowed to look in the mirror I realized not being able to breathe wasn't such a bad compromise.

My makeup was light, only some eyeliner, a touch of blush, and a pale shade of red lipstick. Mama Deni showed me the mask I would be wearing earlier so I wasn't surprised the makeup wasn't heavier since no one would be able to see it anyways. The dress molded to my body like a glove. The corset top made the most of my average chest, giving the appearance of fullness that I definitely didn't have. My curls were forced into submission by Sara, piled high on top of my head. She left only a few curls hanging down to frame my face.

"Is that really me?" I asked sure that someone was playing a trick on me. I had always thought I was pretty but this was . . .

Dimly I heard a door open behind me but I only turned when Mama Deni spoke, her voice full of wonder. "That dress couldn't be more perfectly suited if it was made for you, my dear."

She walked back over to me in her own amazing gown. It was a rich purple ball gown with gold trimmings. The dress itself was a simple design but Mama Deni still made it look incredible. Her makeup was a little heavier than mine, her eyes dark and smokey. Her silver hair was pulled up in a high braided bun. There was baby's breath hair comb tucked into the arch of her braid with gold jewels fastened to it that hung down her back.

She reached out and delicately held my face in her hand. "As much as I love my sons, and would happily give anything for them," she said with a sad smile, "I have always wished I could have had a daughter too. Today was wonderful and I hope that you'll come by again soon." She blinked a few times but before I could say anything her smile widened and a twinkle appeared in her eyes. "Men will be tripping over themselves for a dance with you tonight. Noah will have to beat them back with a bat."

I flushed but smiled back at her.

Someone pounded on the door and Noah yelled for us to hurry up already. Mama Deni rolled her eyes but grabbed my silver mask and tied it on for me. Her own gold mask with purple feathers sat on the tip of a long grip she held in her hand. She grinned at me one more time before throwing open the doors and ushering me out.

Noah and another man, who I assumed was Eli, were standing in the hall in their suits facing away from us.

"Finally," Noah said. "I don't understand how woman– " his voice was cut off when he turned around and saw us. He looked over the both of us before his eyes settled on me. "Damn." His lips twitched as he walked over to us. "Who knew getting you out of jelly stained cartoon shirts would end up with you looking like this."

Mama Deni reached out and smacked the back of his head and told him to be nice but I barely heard them at all because when I looked over his shoulder my breath caught in my throat.

Standing only a few feet away was a carbon copy of Noah. From the top of his slightly curled hair to the bottom of his shiny shoes it was like seeing a double image. The only difference that was noticeable to me was the look in their eyes. Noah always had a mischievous glint in his but Eli's were full of warmth.

When I finally learned to breathe again, I turned toward Noah and followed his mother's example by smacking his head. "You didn't tell me you were a twin!" My voice was high with annoyance.

He just grinned wide and rocked back and forth on his heels. "Oh I didn't? Must have slipped my mind."

"Honestly Noah," Mama Deni said with an exasperated sigh, "must you keep torturing this poor girl?"

"Yup," he popped the 'p', his grin never leaving his face.

She grabbed my hand and pulled me away from him towards his brother. "Come Stephanie. Meet my _good_ son." She grabbed one of his hands and put mine in it. My heart thudded in my chest at the small touch. The warmth of his eyes was even greater now that I was closer. As if she knew exactly what I was thinking, Mama Deni smiled wide. "This is my beloved Elijah. Eli this incredible young woman is Stephanie Plum."

"Hello," Eli said with a kind smile and a gentle squeeze of my hand. "I was beginning to think Noah was making you up by the way he always talks about you." His voice was rich and deep, just like a good cup of coffee.

I suddenly wished my mask was big enough to cover my pink cheeks. I might as well just stay that way as long as I'm around this family. "Hi," I mumbled, unhappy that everyone here found some way to make me feel shy in a matter of seconds.

And damn you Noah! Always trying to catch me off guard. One younger brother my ass. No wonder he was always being evasive about him. Bastard planned all of this just to see me shocked. Damned if it didn't work too.

"Eli be a dear and walk Stephanie into the ballroom for me, will you? I need to talk to Noah about something before we head down." She not so subtlety gave us a push forward. Eli shook his head at her but turned slightly and offered me his elbow. Seeing my uncertainty he chuckled low in his throat. I forced down the shiver it threatened to send down my spine. He grabbed my left hand, hooked it under his elbow and began leading me down the long hallway.

Knowing that he looked just like Noah but feeling how different they carried themselves made my head ache slightly.

"I feel like you're a puzzle that I can't solve," Eli spoke softly to me as we reached the top of the steps.

I looked up at him only to find that he was staring at the steps in front of us. "What's so puzzling about me?"

"We don't have friends outside of our _family_ and Noah especially doesn't have any _female _friends. He meets a woman, has his fun, and then moves onto the next one without pausing. I don't understand why he's stayed in touch with you after that day." Eli turned to look at me, his eyes still warm and kind despite his heavy words. "Truth is that I told him to cut you loose when he said he was visiting you at your campus. I said the trouble you could cause wasn't worth getting into your bed, however great that you may be."

I looked away and tried to pull my hand from him but Eli didn't let that happen. He reached over with his other hand and held it on top of mine tightly and he continued talking. "Don't misunderstand me Stephanie, I have nothing against you personally but our organization works smoothly and if there is a slight chance that you could mess that up by screwing with my brother's mind then I have to take precautions to prevent that."

Ignoring the pressure building in my eyes I took as deep a breath as my dress allowed and looked him straight in the eyes, refusing to back down now. "I get it. You're trying to protect your family and I respect you for it. But I _am _a female and I _am _Noah's friend now. I wouldn't do anything to hurt him or his business even if I don't exactly like what you all do. I'm not here to judge any of you though so I'd appreciate if you didn't judge me in return." I tried to stop my next words, I really did, but I ended up blurting them out anyways. "And if you think that Noah _and_ your mother's perceptions about me suck, well then maybe you're the one that they should be taking precautions with because even after just a few hours I know better than to bet against your mother."

Quickly I turned my head and moved to walk down the steps myself but again he kept me right next to him. A second later my mask was untied and Eli took hold of my chin and forced my face back towards his. His eyes searched mine guardedly for what seemed like a lifetime, but what was probably only a few seconds, before the warmth of his eyes settled back in.

"You," he muttered still clutching my chin, "are an even bigger mystery than I thought. You're only Noah's friend? Nothing more?"

My voice was barely above a whisper now. "Yes."

Eli made a low hum of acceptance in the back of his throat before carefully tying the mask back over my face. My arm was pulled back into the crook of his elbow before he made a motion towards the stairs with his other hand. "Shall we?"

Unsure of what else to do I just nodded and we began out descent down the steps side by side.

* * *

A/N: Twins! Bet you weren't expecting that one hehe. Elijah wasn't exactly harsh with Stephanie but he didn't pull out the welcome banners for her either. With Steph now at the party, what trouble is she in for?

Chapter 6: Dance of a Lifetime Part III


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Don't own them. Not making any money.

A/N: I've had this finished since last night but I've been debating with myself about whether to post anything now, or wait until I completed this story to add the new chapters. Since you're reading this, I bet you can guess what my final decision was haha.

Alright, time to get this ball rolling . . . Again this is all a memory.

Hope you like it! Thanks for reading.  
-Cyn

* * *

**For The Love Of Another  
Chapter 6: Dance of a Lifetime Part III**

After practically dancing non-stop all night I needed a break. When the current song ended my partner, one of Mama Deni's older friends, smiled and thanked me before disappearing back into the crowd. With a sigh of relief, I was finally able to move off the dance floor since the night began. I was about to take a walk back to the sitting room I was in earlier when the sliding doors leading to the back porch caught my eyes. A little fresh air would be nice.

No one stopped me as I made my way past all the guests and God was I thankful for that. I slipped out the doors a minute later, breathing deep. The air was cool and felt incredible against my bare shoulders. Leaning against the railing, I felt my heart steadily relax.

The aches in my feet had been bothering me for a while. I was able to ignore them while I was dancing but just standing still like this was torture. Looking around I saw a large wooden porch swing to my left. With a smile I walked over to it and sunk down in pure bliss. The cushions were absolute heaven.

After taking a second to slip off my heels, I took a good look around. God it was really beautiful here. All around the house dozens and dozens of lanterns hung from the trees casting everything in a soft glow. The sun had set a long time ago so the lanterns were the only source of light. Being so far from the city though, the stars were shining brighter than I'd ever seen. It must have been amazing to grow up here. Not for the first time, or even the last time I'm sure, I realized I was extremely jealous of Noah.

He truly had everything. A supportive, albeit crazy mom who obviously loved him more than anything. A twin brother that understood and accepted him, and was always trying to protect him. A stunning home to call his own. A charming personality that worked on just about every woman on the planet. And God help all the panties in the world when he smiles. Sure his face is ridiculously amazing on its own, but when he smiles . . .

I sighed again before reaching up to take off my mask. Gently rubbing the small indents it left in my forehead I thought about the other devastatingly beautiful smile I saw earlier. Elijah was a shock and a half to me. Throughout the night I hate to admit it but I was watching Eli with every chance I got. Seeing him laugh and smile was amazing but there was something off about it all. He was just as charming as Noah but seemed slightly detached to everyone he talked to. While Noah always has to be the life of the party, Eli looked as if he couldn't wait for all this to be over and done with.

As if my thoughts summoned him, Elijah walked out of the doors I had just a few minutes ago. I watched as he braced his hands against the railing, bending forward until his head hung between his arms completely oblivious to the fact I was just a few feet away from him.

My heart was doing funny things inside my chest but I ignored it as I continued to watch Eli. There was a stiffness to his back that worried me. What was going on in that head of his?

Before I knew what I was doing I was calling out to him. "Taking a break?"

His head snapped up as his eyes focused on me sitting on the swing. He stared at me for a second before responding. "How long have you been out here?" The richness of his voice washed over me. If anyone asked the goose bumps on my arms were because of how cool it was getting out here.

"I snuck out a few minutes before you."

He smiled slightly and walked over. "May I sit with you?"

I nodded and rearranged the bottom of my dress before he sat down. The silence between us was both calming and had me wanting to jump out of my skin. I could feel another blush work its way up my neck as he suddenly turned towards me.

"Are you feeling alright, Stephanie? You look a little flushed." The innocent tone in his voice made me turn a shade redder.

"I'm fine," I managed to squeak out, keeping my eyes focused on the tree line in front of me.

There was a moment's pause before he laughed lowly. I was so focused on the trees that I didn't see his hand move near my face until he turned my head toward his.

Everything about him looked so much like Noah that it was amazing I could tell the difference between the two. It was so easy though. From afar it was the way they held themselves. Up this close though, their eyes were such a dead giveaway. Noah's commanded attention and respect. Eli's flowed with such utter warmth and clarity I was surprise everyone didn't melt into a puddle with just one look from him.

My eyes dropped down to his lips when he parted them slightly to speak. I couldn't help but wonder if his kisses would be different than Noah's.

The sudden tightening of his fingers over my jaw had me looking back into his eyes. The warmth I was so used to was replaced with something much darker but just as captivating. The tension they held made me wonder what made them change so fast.

Elijah stared at me for a moment before he spoke. "You and Noah have kissed."

He said it as a statement but there was a power in his words that made me answer anyways. "Yes." My voice was barely louder than a whisper.

Eli moved his hand so that it was cupping my jaw lightly, his thumb ghosting across the edge of my lower lip. My heart was racing inside my chest, the deep breath I wanted to take was impossible to do with my dress tied so tightly.

"Did you like it?"

"Like what?" I asked completely clueless.

It was amazing to watch the transformation of his eyes. The warmth was slowly sinking back in.

Eli lips quirked up slightly. "Noah's kisses. Did you enjoy them?"

"No," I answered honestly. "Well they weren't bad but there was just no chemistry between us," I added as an afterthought.

He made a low noise in the back of his throat that sent a shiver down my spine. "Noah and I are quite similar, wouldn't you agree?"

I shook my head. "Not at all. Sure you look identical but even after just a few hours of meeting you I know that the two of you are complete opposites."

He tilted his head slightly, finally let go of my chin. I wasn't sure if I was relieved or disappointed. "Tell me more."

I blew out a long breath and looked back out toward the trees. "I don't know how to explain it. Just like I knew Noah was someone I could trust I can just tell that the person you try to be and who you really are, are so different from each other. With Noah what you see is what you get. He's a sweet talking playboy that loves to be the center of attention. He has a strong sense of command about him. With you I get a different kind of feeling."

I paused to consider my next words but before I could continue Eli asked in a low voice, "And just what kind of feeling do I make you experience?"

Biting my lip I chanced a glance at Elijah out of the corner of my eye. He was watching me with such intensity I was sure I would blush again. "You have a quiet power about you. It's like you know what you're capable of but you'd rather just sit back and watch things play out unless you think something could go wrong. You let Noah get all the attention even though you'd probably be just as adept as he is."

Eli reached up and twisted one of my curls between his fingers as he watched my face, looking for what I have no idea. "How are you this intuitive and accepting all the time? Every time I think I have you figured out you go and say something that blows my mind."

I was deathly still as his fingers continued to play with the few curls that framed my face. It took me a minute to find my voice. "I just want to be accepted." I turned my head away, forcing his fingers away from my hair. Closing my eyes I told him my greatest secret, the one I barely acknowledged to myself. "I want to be enough as I am right now. I don't want the life everyone is telling me I should live. I don't want a husband or the 2.5 kids or the white picket fence. I just want to live how I want and still have everyone accept me no matter what. I'll never get that though. Not with my family."

The tears I refused to cry about it before on so many nights were steadily streaming down my face. My breath was jerky as I tried to hold myself together. I didn't want to completely fall apart in front of this man. God even just the quiet tears were too much.

Out of the corner of my eyes I saw him move but before he could say anything a door slammed shut to our left as a couple stumbled out onto the porch. Well the woman was stumbling as the man pulled her arm forcefully.

"You fucking whore," he whispered harshly, not realizing anyone was outside. "You think that because we're at their stupid little party that you can jump all over Noah Denison without paying a price?" In a flash his fist was flying in the air, striking the woman with no hesitation. The blow sent her to the floor before I could blink.

Eli and I were standing in a flash. The only reason Eli made it to them before I did is because of the ridiculous dress I had on. Eli grabbed the man by his jacket and slammed him against the side of the house, his forearm pressed tightly against the man's throat.

I knelt before the woman, who couldn't have been much older than me, looking at the reddening mark on her face.

"Are you ok?" I asked, checking to see if she hurt anywhere else.

She roughly pushed my hands away and shakily got on her feet. "I'm fine. Really there is no reason to overreact," she ignored me, completely focused on Eli and the other man.

Overreact?

The man had just hit her and we're the ones overreacting?

With wide eyes I stood up and faced them too. Eli had the man pinned firmly.

"Stephanie," he said gritting his teeth, "go back inside and tell Noah what's going on."

The woman gasped and cried out as she raced forward, slamming into Eli's side with enough force to send them both to the floor. Sucking in a deep breath the man quickly moved toward the two of them, his face a mask of fury.

My brain was frozen in shock but my feet moved all on their own. Before I knew it, I was standing between the man and Eli, who was trying to get out from under the girl without hurting her.

With ruthlessness that surprised me even after all I saw, the man roughly pushed me out of the way as if I was nothing. My side hit the railing with such force that it left me breathless. I crumpled to the floor as I struggled to catch my breath but the tightness of my dress was slowly suffocating me. I couldn't get a long enough breath. Blood pounded in my head so loud I barely heard the shout of my name over it. Even as I tried pulling on the top of the dress, my world was quickly fading around the edges.

A nearly inhumane snarl was the last thing I heard before I passed out.

I was surrounded by quiet murmurs by the time I floated back to consciousness. My head was lying against Mama Deni's leg as she sat on the floor beside me, her eyes solely focused on the commotion down at the end of the porch. Noah had the man who had started everything trapped on the floor. Neither of them was very recognizable. Noah's face was contorted in rage, turning his handsome face into that of a crazed animal. The other man's face was swollen and covered in blood as Noah kept throwing punches at him.

Half a dozen guys were standing behind them, probably Noah's men, watching the scene with caution but not one of them made a move to stop any of it.

I moved to sit up and whimpered when pain rippled down my side. Everyone glanced at me as Noah paused, his fist hovering in midair. Then with a loud growl Noah started hitting the man with even more strength.

Still no one moved to stop him.

I took a shallow breath suddenly realizing someone had cut the ribbon that held my top together. Based on the constant throbbing pain in my side I at the very least had some bruised ribs. I took a second to steady myself before I quickly got to my feet, barely managing to hold the dress up against my chest. I tried to keep in my gasp as pain raced down my side but I couldn't help it.

Mama Deni tried to stop me as I moved forward but her legs caught on the underside of her dress. Disregarding the ache in my side I was next to Noah in a second. I heard Eli telling me to stop from somewhere behind me as I knelt by Noah, panic clear in his voice. Ignoring everyone I grabbed the hand that was going for the next hit and pulled it toward me. Blood smeared against my chest as I held it against me.

Noah turned to look at me; his eyes wilder than I thought was possible. He kept pulling his arm, trying to get it free but I had both hands on it now, holding it in a death grip. I made soft shushing sounds as his movements became more frantic.

"It's okay now," I said calmly, despite everything I was feeling. "It's all over now. You can stop. It's over." I kept my eyes focused on his as he took a shaky breath. The wildness pulsed like a heartbeat. "It's all over," I kept repeating. "It's over Noah. You can stop."

Gradually he stopped trying to free his arm, just letting me hold it against me. I gave him a small smile as I Noah I knew started to come back. He looked at the man under him. He was covered in blood and was struggled to breath. With a slow breath Noah stood and pulled me up with him. He not so subtly pulled the top of my dress further up. I was so tired, physically and emotionally, that I couldn't even manage a blush.

Noah turned and nodded to one of the men in the group around us. I saw him nod back before Noah carefully turned me around and led me away from everything. Mama Deni and Elijah were both waiting in front of us, worried expressions on their faces.

I was struggling to keep my top in place when Eli took his jacket off and wrapped it around my shoulders. I smiled gratefully but his face never relaxed, he just nodded once then focused on Noah. He watched him as if he was a bomb about to go off.

The four of us stood in silence for a long time before Mama Deni sighed and gently pulled me to her side and took charge of the situation. "Come along Stephanie, let's get you cleaned up. Eli be a dear and help me get this child up to the room. Noah go clean up and have the doctor look at those hands of yours. We'll deal with everything else in the morning."

With that we all walked back inside and Noah didn't spare me a glance as he turned away from us. I tried not to let it bother me as Eli and Mama Deni carefully led me to a small bedroom on the first floor. After I was settled in the room, Eli looked me over once before leaving, the sound of the door closing hit me harder than I expected.

Mama Deni gathered me in her arms and tried to keep me calm as tears swelled in my eyes. "Shhh, honey. It's ok. It's all over, remember? Take some nice, slow breaths. We can't have you hurting your side any more ok?" I nodded against her chest and focused on taking steady breaths. "There you go darling."

When I felt sure I wasn't going to start crying, I pulled away from her and kept my head down. Mama Deni sighed and pushed a wayward curl behind my ear. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about Stephanie. That was a lot for any person to deal with. There's no shame in being scared about what just happened." When I didn't say anything she sighed again and led me to the connecting bathroom. "Why don't you get cleaned up then you can just rest for the night. Do you think you'll need some help?"

I shook my head. "I can manage."

She stood there for a moment before nodding. "Alright then. There's a robe on the back of the door, put that on for now and I'll have some pajamas sent down for you in a little bit."

Mama Deni waited until I nodded before she left.

I turned the shower on as hot as I could take it and got undressed. It was a slow process but I managed to get out of the dress without jarring my side too much. I stared at myself in the mirror when it was off. I had dried up blood all over my neck and chest. The middle of my side was already bruising, the bright color standing out against my pale skin. I didn't think anything was fractured but I knew I was going to be hurting for a long time.

It was a bitch and a half when it came time to unpin my hair. I couldn't reach up with either hand without stretching the wrong way. It took me over five minutes to get all the pins out and free my hair.

Stepping into the hot shower, I let out a sigh of relief. The entire time I was in there, I don't even think I moved. I just stood under the spray and let the heat and pressure do its work, careful to keep my side facing the other way. It could have been seconds or hours that I stood in there before I felt enough like myself to get out. I didn't even bother to dry myself off. Instead I carefully slipped my underwear back on and tugged the white terrycloth robe around me.

I grabbed a towel for my hair and went back into the bedroom. I placed the towel on the bed and slowly laid down, moving until my wet hair was against the towel. All I wanted now was to sleep for a month and forget all about the bloody images in my head.

I closed my eyes, trying to relax into the silence around me. It wasn't long before the door opened and closed though. I forced my eyes to open and watched as Elijah sat down beside me. We stared at each other, not saying anything. The emotions flickering in his eyes were fascinating. Just when I thought one finally took over, it changed yet again.

Finally reluctant acceptance was all that I saw in his face. "How are you?" he asked quietly, looking me over.

"I'm ok," I said just as softly.

"What about your side?"

"Just a little bruised."

He made a sound as if he didn't quite believe me. "May I?" He made a motion towards me. I stared at him in confusion until he took hold of the belt of my robe in his hands.

Oh.

His hand still held the end of the belt tightly but he waited until I nodded before untying it. His hands moved slow and carefully but his eyes never left mine. It was as if he was waiting for me to change my mind.

I didn't.

It was only when the robe was spread open that he finally looked down. I wasn't sure if I was happy or not that I put my panties back on. I was almost fully exposed before him but he only looked at my injured side. Eli gently ran his fingers over my bruised skin, trailing them up and down my side repeatedly. He looked back up to my face when I drew in a long breath. Whatever he saw in my face had his eyes darken.

He leaned over me painstakingly slow until his mouth hovered just above my bruised skin. The anticipation was nerve-racking. My eyes closed before he even touched me. When he finally closed the short distance, it was just the barest touch of his lips against me but it made me let out an embarrassingly high pitched noise. My entire body tensed as his lips moved over every inch of where his fingers traced just moments ago. The pain and pleasure of it all had me crying out. No other parts of our bodies were touching but it made liquid fire burn through my veins.

When he finally lifted his head we were both having trouble breathing. Leaning back, Eli slowly wrapped the robe back around me, his knuckles lightly running over my stomach in the process. He sat there, hands tightly wound around the belt again before his eyes finally met mine again.

His voice was low when he spoke. "I have to go."

All I could do was nod as he let go of the belt and walked out without so much as a goodbye.

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A/N: So whatcha think? Even with such a strong connection to Eli, is this the end for Steph and the Denison family or is there even more to come? Reviews are lovely!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Don't own them. Not making any money.

A/N: And we're back to Ranger and Steph in the 7th floor apartment (chapter 4 for those who need a reference)

Basically this chapter is just a transition between Steph's memories and present day plot. There will definitely be more past that will be drudged up but present day activities start taking center stage again.

Hope you like it! Thanks for reading.  
-Cyn

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**For The Love Of Another  
Chapter 07: A Parallel Life**

Things were quiet after I finished telling Ranger everything. Well ok so maybe not everything. I'm pretty sure my almost boyfriend wouldn't be too happy to hear about my . . . about Eli playing doctor with me that night. Although from the look in Ranger's eyes he knows there is a lot more to the story, of that night and beyond, than I'm telling.

With a drawn-out sigh I stood up and tossed our empty water bottles in the recycle bin. I moved to walk past Ranger but he grabbed me by my belt loops and pulled me against him. My entire body tensed when he wrapped his arms around my back as he just held me.

His voice was soft when he spoke. "You'll tell me everything."

It wasn't really a question but it wasn't exactly a command either. The fact that it was somewhere in between had me relaxing against him. I closed my eyes and tucked my head under his chin before nodding.

I pressed myself further against him; half hoping I could just fall into his body. Ranger practically exudes strength and I wanted to absorb every bit of his that I could. The world still spun when I was near him but I wasn't quite as dizzy as I was away from him.

It wasn't long before his hold on me wasn't enough though. I needed something more. Something I couldn't even name. There were just a lot of strong emotions warring inside me right now that I wish I could lock back up and pretend they didn't exist. It was a lot to ask of Ranger, but I hoped he'd be able to help anyways.

"Can we just," I paused trying to keep my voice from shaking. "Can we just lie down for a little while? Before we go back down to work?"

Ranger pulled back and waited until I opened my eyes to answer. Whatever he saw in them made him nod. Wordlessly we moved from the kitchen to the bedroom.

These past few days have been wearing me down physically and emotionally. At first I tried so hard not to let them get to me but as much as I want to, I just can't unring this bell. Hearing Noah's name made so many memories fight to get out of their hiding place in the deepest, darkest corner of my mind. Seeing him though, there was no way for me to stop them from surging back one after the other. Sleep was short and erratic. Dreams plagued my nights until I woke up crying out in fear or pain. I never remembered the dreams though. I'm not really sure if I was thankful for that or not.

Every hour of every day I have to fight with myself to not think about the past I forced myself to forget.

Every day I lose that battle. Memory after memory forced its way to the surface.

I'll admit some of them are pretty harmless. Thinking of them makes me smile and laugh. Like the first time Noah bought me coffee after I got him out of that alley. Or when he said something stupid in front of his mother and she smacked the back of his head. Those were happy memories.

More often than not though, my thoughts were about Eli. Thinking of him brought me nothing but sorrow and pain.

And I'm so tired of the pain.

When Ranger and I were in the bedroom we didn't even bother to get under the covers. I slipped my shoes off before crawling onto the bed. The gun off his belt was placed into its lockbox in the closet. Next came the two blades strapped to his ankle. They were locked away too. Then off came his boots and belt before he finally slipped his watch off.

The man walking towards me was as dangerous as they come. Even without the gun or blades I knew he could kill someone within minutes. And as dangerous as his arms were, they were the one place I knew I was the safest. Nothing could get to me as long as Ranger was by my side. I'm hoping that holds true for my past as well.

As soon as Ranger was on the bed, I scooted closer and laid my head right over his heart. His left arm wrapped around my body as I listened to his steady heartbeat. It was one of my favorite sounds in the whole world. It's a sound not many people can say they've heard. Not just anyone can get close to Ranger's heart.

Physically or emotionally.

I hadn't meant to fall asleep but it wasn't long before I was drifting off, falling back into a world that I barely survived years before.

_The morning after the party I woke up to Marcus' soft knocking on the door. He told me that whenever I was ready he would take me back to my dorm. I shouldn't have been surprised but it still hurt that Noah wasn't going to be the one taking me back. When I asked why Marcus would be the one taking me back, he looked everywhere but at me. He said there was unavoidable business everyone had to leave to deal with so he was the only here at the moment but that Noah would call me when he could._

_It was sweet that Marcus wanted to spare my feelings but I knew a brush off when I heard one._

_What hurt the most was that they were cutting me off without giving me a chance. I don't know why but I expected more from Noah. With his big, loud personality I half expected him to come storming in during the night and kick me out. I expected some long speech about how we couldn't hang out anymore and that his life was too dangerous. I expected Mama Deni to tell me it would be better off if I didn't come over again. I expected Eli to . . . Well I expected something._

_What I didn't expect was silence._

_Marcus had left a pair of plain black sweatpants and an old Penn State shirt for me to change into. My fingers had a mind of their own, tracing the letters of the shirt before I realized what I was doing. I knew without a doubt that these were Eli's clothes. I didn't like the slow warmth that settled in my stomach because of that information. Instead I welcomed a different kind of heat burning through me. The anger of being pushed away like I was nothing quickly kicked aside any warm and fuzzy feelings inside me._

_It wasn't fair that I didn't get a voice in what comes next. Yesterday was twenty different kinds of hell but I thought I took it all well. I mean it's not every day a girl is thrown against a railing trying to protect who is essentially her best friend's brother and . . . something she can't even give a name to._

_It's my life. I should be able to get a say in this. My options shouldn't be taken away because of a bad night._

_It was my decision to make if I wanted to stay connected with this family._

_They shouldn't get the only say._

_Wiping away angry tears, I walked into the bathroom to get changed. After Eli had left last night I had crawled under the covers and fell asleep almost instantly so I still was just wearing the robe. I had to bite my lip to keep quiet when I untied the robe. My ribs were even worse today. They were all different shades of red and purple and still looked a little swollen. I checked to see how high I could raise my arm but had to stop before I even got it parallel to the floor._

_I bit my lip even harder as more tears gathered in my eyes._

_I didn't even know why I was crying. Maybe it was because I was angrier than I've ever been before. Maybe it was because of the pain. Maybe it was because I was still so tired._

_Maybe it was all of it._

_Maybe it was none of it._

_Working as quickly as my side allowed I cleaned off the little make-up I didn't remove yesterday, swept my hair into a loose ponytail – which was a bitch and a half to do – and slipped on the clean clothes._

_Getting the shirt on was the hardest part. It left me a little sweaty and breathless and filled my lungs with a deep, earthy smell I would rather forget. Just standing next to Eli on the stairs for a couple minutes before the party was enough for my brain to label the scent as just his. Not even a washer could get rid of Eli's unmistakable scent. Noah always wore a different cologne every day and I knew there was no way anyone could bottle this shirts particular scent. It was half dark and woody, and half soft and airy, blending together perfectly._

_If anyone could bottle this scent, they'd be instant millionaire. Its richness was heavy, but it was so sweet and light I brought the collar of the shirt up to my nose to get another breath of it._

_After a moment I realized what I was doing and scowled as I pulled the shirt back in place. The shirt was just a shirt. It didn't matter who it belonged to._

_I told myself I was being ridiculous and walked back into the bedroom._

_On the nightstand were a glass of water and a bottle of Aleve. I swallowed two pills dry before drinking half the glass._

_Marcus knocked on the door and came in carrying a tray of muffins, croissants, and bagels with little dishes of jams and butter to the side. He put the tray on the edge of the bed before turning towards me with a small smile._

_"You should eat something before we go. It's a long drive and you haven't had a real meal since yesterday's brunch."_

_For once food wasn't a priority with me. I didn't want to be in this house for another minute. The silence would drive me crazy. I just wanted to be at home already. "I'll eat a muffin in the car if that's alright," I said turning towards the tray so I wouldn't have to look into Marcus' sad eyes anymore._

_"Of course," he replied, his voice a little softer than a minute ago._

_I picked up a blueberry muffin and a napkin, before following two steps behind Marcus as he led the way to the front door. A navy blue SUV was already in the circular driveway. Marcus helped me settle into my seat before he walked around to the driver's side._

_The drive back to my dorm was long and quiet. The only sounds came from the speakers as a random radio station hummed in the background. I picked at my muffin to stop Marcus' sideways stares._

_There were a few times when I saw him open his mouth but after a moment he closed it again and kept driving._

_When we finally got to my dorm it was after noon. I mumbled a quick thank you and got out of the car, trying to ignore the sharp stinging that raced down my side. I heard Marcus call my name but I walked ahead, not even bothering to turn back._

_My roommate was out again for the weekend. It's probably the only time that I'll ever be mad about her being gone. I needed sound right now. I needed noise and distractions. I needed to forget it all._

_I turned the TV on and cranked up my stereo before crawling back into my own bed. I sunk into the comfort of my cheap sheets in my cheap bed, driving everything out of my mind._

_I fell asleep easily but unlike the night before, I was thrown into what would become my regular nightmare._

_The dream haunted me every night for two weeks. It always started the same with me and Elijah out on that porch and that couple following soon after. Every night there was fighting and blood flowing everywhere but it wasn't because of Noah and the other man. Every drop of blood belonged to Eli._

_The most common dream I had is where I stood frozen as the man beat Eli without mercy. I told myself to move but my body refused to obey. I wanted to cry and scream but I couldn't even do that. I just stood there watching helplessly as Eli was hit and kicked over and over again. He was becoming unrecognizable with his skin torn everywhere, red covering his whole body._

_I was forced to stay still even as the woman came out of nowhere. She moved her dress up her leg until I could see the gun strapped to her ankle. I fought against myself even as she handed the man the gun. My stomach rolled when the man dropped to one of his knees and leveled the gun at Eli's forehead but my body still didn't move._

_I was trapped inside myself. There was nothing I could do to save Eli._

_Suddenly I wasn't eighteen anymore. It wasn't Eli that had a gun pointed to his head. The fear inside me tripled in an instant. I could only watch as Ranger's eyes held mine for a second before the other man pulled the trigger._

I woke to Ranger shaking my shoulders. My ears were ringing and my heart thudded violently inside my chest. The soreness in my throat made me think I hadn't just been screaming in my head.

Ranger was laying on his left side gently cupping my face in his hands, wiping away tears I hadn't even known were falling down my cheeks. My shaky breathing was the only sound in the apartment.

I focused on Rangers eyes as I struggled to separate dream from reality. There was a pulsing in my side that didn't make sense. Ranger was the first on my mind but Eli was floating around in the back, trying to work his way up but I refused to let him.

Instead I basically tackled Ranger so he ended up on is back with me stretched out on top of him. There was a half a second's pause of Ranger just staring at me in shock before I hastily pressed my lips against his.

The kiss was messy, hard and absolutely filled with desperation. Neither one of us held back. Tongues searched deep, teeth bit hard on lips, and hands fisted in each other's hair. But it wasn't just our tongues that were fighting for control. After a particularly hard bit to his lower lip, Ranger pinned me underneath him, pressing me down into the bed to try to keep me still. I struggled to get back on top but Ranger was having none of that. The more I tried to flip us the more securely he held me, and eventually the softer his kisses became.

That wasn't what I wanted at all though. I wanted to be lost in Ranger until he was all I knew.

I tried to raise my head to deepen the kiss again but somehow Ranger managed lock both of my hands in one of his while his other hand fisted in my hair, keeping my head still.

A strangled cry tore out of my throat as his lips barely brushed against mine. Tears pooled inside my eyes again and I was completely powerless to stop them. I was gasping, trying so hard to keep a part of myself together but it was useless. In a matter of seconds I was sobbing in Rangers arms. The sounds coming out of me were filled with nothing but pure agony.

I barely noticed Ranger shift us until I was back on my side with my face tucked against his chest. I fisted my hands into his shirt and gripped it as if it was the only thing keeping me on this planet.

Broken cries continued to pour out of me as years of pent up grief finally found release. Whether my heart raced in relief or heartbreak I wasn't sure but it felt way too big to fit into my chest. Its heavy weight made me cry more.

I cried until I physically couldn't anymore. I cried until I was nothing more than a sniffling, shaking mess inside of Rangers arms. The death grip I had on his shirt was making my hands tremble but I couldn't let go. No matter what I couldn't let him go.

I waited until the shaking stopped and my hiccups faded away before I spoke. When I did my voice was hoarse and paper-thin but my words carried a heavy weight. "You're not allowed to die."

There was a moment's pause before Ranger said anything. "Babe."

I forced my head out of its hiding spot and looked him in the eyes. My voice still sounded terrible but I made myself speak louder. "You can't die." Before he could respond I kept talking. "I'm serious Ranger. You have to promise me. Right now you have to promise me that you'll never die." My heart stuttered at the thought alone.

Ranger leaned down to kiss my forehead but I moved back. "Promise me," I demanded.

He stared at me for a long time before he said, "I promise to never leave you."

"That's not the same thing and you know it!" I yelled as loud as I could manage, but the sound barely made it across the room.

Ranger cautiously reached up and tucked a wayward curl behind my ear. "And you know I won't make promises I can't keep," his voice was soft and filled with regret. It hurt him that he couldn't give me what I needed the most right now.

"You have to promise me," I begged, tucking myself back against him. "You can never die. Not ever."

He kissed my hair before laying his cheek against the top of my head. His arms around me tightened. "I'll never leave you Babe. No matter what I'll never leave you."

That was the most I could ever get from him. It wasn't enough. Not even close to being enough.

But it was all I could have right now.

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A/N: With Stephanie still struggling with her past, will things in her present life make things better or harder for her? Reviews are lovely!


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